Don’t ever mistake a Rougarou for a werewolf. Sure, they might be distant cousins of folklore, but they are not the same thing. For any of you uneducated souls out there with little to no knowledge of Cajun culture, the Rougarou is essentially a Cajun legend, a creature similar to modern-day notions of the werewolf.

Various accounts differ of what exactly a Rougarou looks like, where it came from and how to become one, but the differing accounts all point to a creature who deserves better than the lack of attention afforded to him by popular culture. Spellings of the creature’s name differ as well, and Rougarou has also been spelled Roux-Ga-Roux, Rugaroo, Rugaru, or even Loup Garou, with even more spellings than that.

Deep in the Louisiana Bayou, the Rougarou prowls along, looking for its next victim. It was featured on one of those low-budget Discovery Channel shows about people finding mythical creatures so it obviously has to exist.

Creatures like vampires, ghosts, and typical werewolves get all the love and attention from popular culture, as folklore enthusiasts continue to neglect the Rougarou. Low-quality fantasy television shows and books are released every year, but year after year they fail to feature the Rougarou. This problem of a lack of representation in the media affects many different groups, and Rougarous are no exception.

When was the last time you saw a Rougarou front and center in a novel or film? It is a true and utter travesty to see the greatest beast of Cajun folklore treated this way. The almighty Rougarou is respected in Cajun communities along the Bayou, but gets little respect or admiration elsewhere.

This is a problem because the Rougarou needs our help. A lack of habitable land in the Bayou region has forced many Rougarou to leave their homes, and finding other areas with enough people to attack at night has proven difficult for them. Each year, the Rougarou climbs higher and higher toward the top of the endangered species list, and it should pain all of us to know that our grandchildren may one day face a world where they can simply walk into the Louisiana Bayou with absolutely no fear of getting brutally attacked and then eaten by a Rougarou.

It is an unappreciated beast, and Cajun culture alone will not be able to save it. Certain efforts have been made to bring the Rougarou more front and center into the cultural consciousness, but we have a long way to go.

Rougarou Fest is an annual festival held in Louisiana every year celebrating the rich culture and folklore of the area. It is one of the largest events held in honor of the Rougarou, and has been tremendous in raising awareness about the real issues that wild Rougarou face every day.

The television show "Supernatural" did feature a supposed Rougarou in one episode, but it was a poor representation that was inaccurate and offenive to all of Rougaroukind.

Before the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association became known as the Pelicans, they were the Hornets, and when the Hornets decided to change their name, one of the names considered was the New Orleans Rougarous. Obviously, the name Pelicans was chosen, enforcing the well-known fact that professional sports leagues don’t care about legendary folkloric creatures. If only they had become the Rougarous instead, the creature would instantly have received national recognition. Pelicans are doing fine! The Rougarous were the ones who needed the NBA’s help, and they chose to ignore their beastly plea.

The Cajun Werewolf deserves our attention and our help. It has been a misunderstood and misrepresented creature for too long, being unfairly lumped in with the regular werewolf even though it is a unique creature with Cajun culture coursing through each of its veins. So next time you decide you want to donate to charity, consider giving to the Save The Rougarou fund as an alternative. Before you cough up the money and buy a ticket to Coachella next year, consider attending Rougarou Fest instead.

If you find yourself in the Bayou anytime soon, make sure to stop and take a look around, breathing in the fresh Bayou air. If you listen closely enough, and it happens to be lunchtime, then you just might hear a Rougarou far off in the distance, taking a bite out of a poor tourist’s leg.