Water Tiger of South America.
Etymology: Wayana (Car
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ib) word.
Variant names: Popoké, Wat er mot her .
Physical description: Lengt h, 9 feet 9 inches.
Widt h, 3 feet 3 inches. Shor t , fawn-color ed fur .
Whit ish on chest . Whit e st r ipe, 5 inches wide,
along back. Lar ge br own eyes like a t apir ’s.
Drooping ear s. Tusks like a walr us’s. Clawed
feet like an ant eat er ’s. Tuft ed t ail like a cow’s.
Behavior: Wait s underwat er for pr ey. At t acks
humans and canoes.
Habitat: Caves and hollows in t he r iver bank.
Distribution: Maroni River , near Mar ipa -
soula, Fr ench Guiana.
Significant sighting: The body of a boy who
dr owned in t he Mar oni on Oct ober 21, 1962,
was found par t ially eat en. The Maipolina was
blamed.
Possible explanation: An aquat ic Saber -
t oot hed cat (Smilodon sp.) similar t o t he
Yaquaru; possibly it s female count er par t , suggest
ed by Kar l Shuker .