The Mapinguari

The Mapinguari is a legendary creature of the Amazon basin, described as a giant, foul-smelling beast that may represent a surviving ground sloth.

Indigenous tribes describe a large, hairy biped standing six to eight feet tall, with powerful claws, thick red or brown fur, and an unbearable stench. The creature is said to be extremely difficult to kill.

The most intriguing theory proposes the Mapinguari is a surviving giant ground sloth. Giant sloths inhabited South America until approximately 10,000 years ago. The Amazon’s vast rainforest could theoretically harbor surviving populations.

Ornithologist David Oren conducted multiple expeditions in the 1990s, collecting consistent witness accounts but no physical evidence.