El Añá
El Añá is a legendary lake serpent from the folklore of the Andean lakes region of Argentina, particularly in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro. The name derives from Mapuche and Guarani mythologies, where it refers to malevolent water spirits. Unlike the more famous Nahuelito, El Añá is described as a hybrid creature combining serpentine and cervine features. Indigenous Mapuche and Tehuelche peoples told stories of this creature to explain disappearances near deep, cold lakes, warning children and careless shepherds away from treacherous shorelines where the water drops suddenly into aby