PODSNACK! Creature Feature: WORLD Edition: Venezuela: The Mapinguari

Hey there, creature catchers! Need a quick treat to keep you entertained between episodes? Welcome to PODSNACK!, your bite-sized adventure that’s full of fun!

In this special WORLD Edition series, we are journeying across the entire globe! We will meet the strangest, goofiest, and occasionally scary magical beings, learn about world cultures, try out some of their language, and pick up interesting vocab along the way.

🇻🇪 Today's Snack: The World's Tallest Waterfall!

We are traveling to Venezuela, a country in South America famous for the amazing Angel Falls. It is the tallest waterfall in the world—almost 1 kilometer high!

We even learned a greeting from the Warao people: “Yanaida!” (Yah-ny-dah!) which means “Hello!”

🌟 The Feature: The Mapinguari!

Today, we meet a colossal, backward-footed beast called the Mapinguari (Mah-peen-GWAH-ree)! He is a ginormous giant covered in reddish-brown fur who lets out a roar that sounds like a thousand garbage trucks fighting!

• The Goal: The Mapinguari is a protector of the forest and is especially fond of the sloth—the slowest, laziest creature in the Amazon! He has a very tricky feature: his feet are turned backward, so his footprints lead you the wrong way!
• A Horrendous Mistake: In one story, a hunter saw the giant footprints and ran in the opposite direction to get away. But because of the backward feet trick, he ran straight into the creature’s massive arms! It led to a horrendous fight—which is a very shocking and frightening fight!
• Survival Tip: If you see those huge footprints, don't be bamboozled (completely surprised and confused)! To escape, try running backwards yourself. The Mapinguari will be so mixed up by your trail that he'll get completely lost trying to figure out which way is forward!