Tradition / Region: Colombian Mythology, Venezuelan Mythology
Alternative names: —
Category: Cave dweller
The Myth
The Wako are animal spirits that resemble large pacas covered in spots, with long, vicious fangs. They live underground in large groups, digging extensive burrows filled with small entrances, passages, and places where they can hide. Their presence can be recognized by their distinctive call, which sounds like ao, ao, ao, ao.
The Wako are flesh-eating creatures that also prey upon humans. Anyone who enters their underground dwellings is pursued through the tunnels and devoured. They have one unusual weakness, however: they will not chase a person who is completely naked.
According to one story, a Cuiva man whose wife had left him decided to enter a Wako burrow, despite his son’s attempts to stop him. He began digging into a hole where a Wako had been seen. As he reached into the opening with his hand and quickly pulled it back, the disturbance frightened the creatures inside.
The Wako rushed from their burrow, calling ao, ao, ao, ao, and attacked the man. When they had finished, nothing remained of him.
Another story tells of a man whose pregnant wife had been killed and eaten by the Wako. Seeking revenge, he entered their underground dwelling and fought the creatures inside. He succeeded in destroying the entire nest of Wako.
Sources
Countess Sica. “Wako.” A Book of Creatures. March 25, 2019. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/03/25/wako/