Ow-ow、奥-奥（ao-ao）或奥（aò），是一种来自巴拉圭的神秘动物，也是Guaraní神话中的一种动物。有时人们把它与巴西的玛平瓜里（mapinguari）和法马西奥（famacosio）混为一谈。

描述

Ow-ow有时被描述为一种长着爪子和尖牙的像羊一样的怪物，它会从树上跳下来，然后再吃掉人。1822年，马丁·多布里佐弗（Martin Dobrizhoffer）将其描述为……

“... dreadful beast, which has a head and claws like those of a tiger, which resembles a mastiff in size, has no tail, and possesses singular ferocity, and equal swiftness, is called by the Guaranies ao, a word signifying clothing, but given to this beast because, from its wool, the Guaranies formerly wove themselves garments. They wander gregariously in pools, marshy places, or woods far from the noise of men. But if one of them chance to meet an Indian hunting, his life is as good as gone, unless he can avoid its cruel fangs, by a very swift flight, or by ascending a tree; though when seated on the very highest boughs he cannot be perfectly secure, for as these ferocious animals are incapable of climbing a tree, they will tear it up by the roots with their claws, and when it falls seize hold of their prey. These things the Indians and Spaniards all agree in relating and believing.”
“...一种可怕的野兽，头和爪子看起来像老虎，大小像獒犬，没有尾巴，具有非凡的凶猛性和同样的敏捷性，这种生物被瓜拉尼人称为奥（aò），一个表示衣服的词，但也被当为这种野兽的名字，因为瓜拉尼人以前会用它的毛皮织衣服。它们成群结队地游荡在远离人类喧嚣的池塘、沼泽地或树林中。但是，如果其中一个人有机会遇到一个正在打猎的奥时，他的生命就等于一去不复返了，除非他能非常迅速的爬上一棵树用来躲避它那残忍的尖牙；虽然当他坐在最高的树枝上时，他是不可能完全安全的，因为这些凶猛的动物不会爬树，它们会用爪子把树的根部撕碎，当树倒下时，它们就会抓住猎物。印度人和西班牙人都非常相信这种生物的存在。”

1911年，把这种动物安置在巴西南部的Alexander K. Macdonald先生将其描述为“一种白色绵羊大小的动物，会成群猎食，喜欢攻击人类”。在巴拉圭，一位蒙托亚神父对这种生物有着截然不同的描述，他写道:

“... an amphibious animal ... like a sheep, but with the difference that its teeth and nails are like a tiger's, which animal it equals in ferocity. The Indians never look on it without terror, and when it sallies from the marshes where it lives (which it does ordinarily in troops), they have no other chance of escape but to climb up a tree, and even then sometimes they are not in safety, for this terrible creature sometimes uproots the tree, or sometimes stays on guard until the Indian falls into its jaws.”
“... 一种两栖动物....看起来像羊一样，但与羊不同的是它的牙齿和指甲都很像老虎，它的凶猛程度与老虎相当。印第安人看到它时总是会感到恐惧，当它从它生活的沼泽地跑过来时，除了爬树这种方法之外，当地人没有其他任何办法可以摆脱这种生物，即使这样，有时他们也是不安全的，因为这种可怕的生物有时会把树连根拔起，或者有时会守在树下，直到印第安人掉进它的嘴里。”

证明者

Alexander K. Macdonald先生收到了足够多的关于Ow-ow的描述，他认为“Ow-ow的存在必须有一些实际的事实基础”。本·麦金泰尔（Ben Macintyre）先生在巴拉圭得到了的Ow-ow现代版描述，包括一位船长的描述。一些印度人告诉他，在巴西边境附近和格兰查科（Gran Chaco）存在着许多的Ow-ow。另据报道，一名村民最近被一只Ow-ow杀害了。

参考

1. ↑ Jump up to:1.01.1 "The Mother of All Sloths," Fortean Times 77 (October—November 1994)

2. ↑ Eberhart, George M. (2002) Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology, ABC-CLIO, Inc., ISBN 1576072835

3. ↑ Dobrizhoffer, Martin (1822) An Account of the Abipones: an Equestrian People of Paraguay

4. ↑ Jump up to:4.04.1 Macdonald, Alexander K. (1911) Picturesque Paraguay

5. ↑ Jump up to:5.05.1 Macintyre, Ben (1992) Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche