The Water Bull (Toro de agua) or Water Cow (Vaca de Agua) is a cryptid from Chilean folklore, also known in some rural Argentine frontier zones. It is said to dwell almost exclusively in rivers and deep freshwater bodies, rarely coming ashore. Although visually similar to an ordinary cow, it is entirely aquatic in behavior - feeding on algae, sleeping underwater, and navigating river currents with ease.
Behavior and Reputation[]
Stamp of a water bull from Argentina.
Water Cows are considered dangerous river creatures. They are said to be aggressive toward humans who approach their domain. Folklore describes them trampling people who enter the water or even pressing their full weight on victims to drown them - a trait that grants them status as river monsters in local legends.
Despite their bovine appearance, their behavior is more akin to territorial aquatic beasts, and their sightings are often associated with drownings or mysterious disappearances in rivers.
The myth is definitively a Mapuche Chilean myth as there are no references to Tehuelche myths involving bulls or cows.
These rivers have been reported to have river cows.[]
In Chile:[]
- Lake Foitzick
- Lake los Cisnes
- Lake Quillen
- Lake Bio Bio
- Lake Temuco
- Lake Estanillan
- Laguna del Toro (Lake of the Bull) Named after the cryptid that was spotted, here a few years later at the same spot the bull reappeared and mounted a cow, impregnating her. When the time came for the cow to calve, she gave birth to a “calf that did not have legs but some beautiful fins; it was so small that it could not even reach the udder to feed [and died.]”
In argentina:[]
- Lake Nahuel-huapi
- Lake Lolog
- Lake la Plata
- Lake Rosario
- Lake Huechulafquen - Frontier with Chile.
Important Distinctions[]
They are not to be confused with:
- Huallipén: A Chilean mythological creature associated with illness and misfortune, usually considered a wekufe (a malevolent spirit or demon in Mapuche mythology).
- La Vaca Marina Chilena: Another Chilean sea cow cryptid, with a distinct marine habitat and mythological role, also sometimes tied to wekufes.
- El Lobo Toro: A separate river bull creature found in Chilean folklore, unrelated to the Water Cow, with its own unique traits and stories.
References:[]
- Corporación de Defensa de la flora y fauna (CODEF) y Corporación de Desarrollo de Aysén (CODESA), (2000). Testimonio de Wilson Aguilar, de Villa Cerro Castillo. Relatos de antiguos pobladores de Cerro Castillo. Municipalidad de Río Ibáñez.
- Kossler-Ilg, B., and Foerster, R. (2006). Cuenta el pueblo mapuche: Cuentos y fábulsas. MN Editorial. pp.23.
- Aguirre, Sonia., (2003). Mitos de Chile: diccionario de seres, magias y encantos Random House Mondadori. pp. 416. Online:
- Bestiario de criaturas magicas chilenas (2021)