Alicanto

The Alicanto is a bird in Northern Chile spoken of by miners. It is said to eat gold or silver and turns that colour depending on what it has eaten. Although it has functioning wings, it runs mostly because it is weighed down by what it consumes. It can barely crawl when it overeats. The miners, when they spot one, follow it in the hopes of it leading to a deposit of the precious metal but they need to be cautious because the bird can easily mislead them and take them to their demise. This bird has been transplanted to Toronto, the seat of many international mining companies that deeply influence other people’s environments and well-being, through wealth, pollution, death squads, etc.

Doppio

Of the Doppio, an owl-like creature, it is said that it straddles the ocean — from the heel of the Italian peninsula to the toe of Southern Ontario. Two (due) is the number of its talons and two the number of its eyes and two the number of its mouths and two the number of its ears and two the number of its horns (animale cornuto). One of its two mouths is in the place where mouths should be and one on the apex of its breastbone; through the interplay of its two mouths it converses (with itself). Over time, the two mouths grow to understand each other less. The Doppio are already born with two sets of teeth, two hearts, and two souls, of which one remains on their passing. Each talon, laid on the ground, covers the space of a flock of a thousand sheep, and under each of its spurs up to a thousand riders (cavalieri) can manoeuvre. Its home is of gold and is hollow, and from it a thousand branchlets have grown.

El Perro Negro

In the north, in the driest desert in the world, where it hasn't rained for 500 years, there was once a lucrative saltpeter mine. In this arid land of the "white gold", a giant black dog is seen roaming the hills. It has red eyes that glow in the moonlight and wears a serpent made of pure gold around its neck. It is told that if you are fortunate enough to witness this terrifying creature digging you must mark the spot with a dagger deeply plunged into the earth. It is believed that the black dog is the guardian of the richest vein of gold in existence. The night my father was born my grandfather began the long solitary journey on foot to the birth registry office in the neighbouring town. As my grandfather made his way by moonlight he knew that he was alone in this desolate stretch of terrain where nothing moves -- he stopped suddenly as he felt an eerie unseen presence. And then he saw it, the huge red eyes watching him, the giant black form. Following him for three days and nights, the black dog stayed close behind until at last, he disappeared. My grandfather, a learned man, an atheist, believed that the figure that shadowed him was not of this earth, but somehow an omen. This legend from the salitreras, still told today by the miners of the north, warns of the giant black dog with red eyes -- the devil's guardian.

Kaun Khla

The population of this cat species grew after the war, when their safety and refuge was guaranteed by past generations. They survived by hiding in trees and wells close to the kingdom. The first generation Kaun Khlas were raised by the Mekong river, far from the French. The young were taught by the mouth of the river, with their siblings they learned to listen for sounds of fear, longing, and celebration. They followed the water to a land where ice falls from the sky in search of lost relatives that fled from the past. Streaks of Khla followed the sounds of their family carrying baskets and gifts to offer to their elder. They left traces of fur, paw-steps, and whispers for their kin to follow in the night. This creature travels with the mist, with luminous emerald eyes it drifted between the rice field and mountains. It moves between dusk and dawn listening for music and laughter. They travel in groups, and saunter side by side with a watchful eye of new terrain and encounters. Kaun Khlas determines their behaviors based on their relationship with other species. The presence of sva brings out the Khlas’s humility (foolishness), the sound of Bakaesi stirs reminds them of a life time of hunger (sty), and the Damri’s presence teaches this creature how to grow through understanding their limitations.

Kuthbani

A Kuthbani is a creature made out of sand that lives in the Sahara. They belong to the world of the djinn, a parallel universe made up of a different kind of matter. Kuthbanis are shapeshifters who gather sand to assume any form — shifting sand dunes in deserts. Kuthbanis can be seen by and form relationships with those people who know how to communicate with the djinn; they are innately curious about humans and seek out the ones they can appear to. They are said to predict the future, making it highly desirable to befriend one. Kuthbanis are playfully mischievous with magpie tendencies, and this is why in the desert, you should not leave your belongings unattended lest a wandering sand dune take possession. Several kuthbanis can combine to form a larger, more powerful sand dune which, when agitated, becomes a haboob. Every human has a djinn companion, and when we immigrated here to Canada, the kuthbanis were swept along like any other exotic introduced species transported accidentally or intentionally in baggage, cargo or freight. Here in Canada, unlike their desert habitats, there is far less sand to gather and so appearing takes a lot more effort. Their inability to form and therefore engage with humans makes them impotent and depressed, parallel to the desires and dreams of the immigrants they transplanted alongside.