Many indigenous tribes of the Αmazon have spoken of encounters with the Mapinguari, and countless hunters have claimed to have seen the creature themselves. In fact, one such hunter, Joao Btista Αzevedo, recounted a chilling encounter with the Mapinguari during a 45-day
journey through the rainforest.
“I was working on the river when I heard a howl, a chilling howl,” Αzevedo, now 70, recalls. “Suddenly, a figure like a man emerged from the jungle.
Its entire body was covered in thick fur, and…it walked upright on two legs! Oh my God! Thank goodness it didn’t come closer to us. To this day, I remember exactly what happened.”
While many skeptics have dismissed the existence of the Mapinguari as mere myth, others, such as renowned geographer David Oren, have taken the stories very seriously. Oren has spent the past 13 years embarking on expeditions into the depths of South Αmerican rainforests in search of the elusive creature.
Oren has even enlisted the help of those who claim to have seen the Mapinguari firsthand, such as Αzevedo, in his quest to find the “forest guardian” and prove its existence
His theory is that the Mapinguari may be a type of giant ground sloth, a species believed to have gone extinct 10,000 years ago. Oren believes that the creature’s closest living relative is the tree-dwelling sloth.
“I think he’s 13,000 years too late,” Martin quips. “What he’s pursuing is like trying to find a living dinosaur.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Mapinguari, there is no denying the intrigue that this legendary creature holds for researchers and enthusiasts alike. Whether the beast is real or simply a product of myth and folklore, its legend is sure to endure for many years to come.
egend is sure to endure for many years to come.