El Chupacabra: the goat sucker. What started as a mysterious series of vampiric-attacks on livestock became the legend of this cryptid. Chupacabras live in the Americas, with the first supposed sighting occurring in Puerto Rico in 1995.
This cryptid is really interesting to me. Instead of a story starting up around witness sightings of a creature, this one is tied directly to a tangible reported incident.
In March 1995, Puerto Rico, eight sheep were found with three puncture wounds in their chests and completely drained of blood.
Initially, it was thought to have been just a wild animal attack – possibly a fox – despite the strange circumstance of the sheep’s deaths. The attacks were dismissed.
Until, five months later, a series of animal murders suddenly plagued the town of Canóvanas. This included farm animals and pets, where as many as 150 animals were reportedly killed. In most cases, like the previous eight sheep, they had puncture wounds and had been drained of blood.
During this time, over 30 eyewitnesses came forward to describe the creature. Its most common appearance is that of the reptlie-like creature above, with green-gray leathery or scaly skin, and sharp spines or quills on its back.
Its said to be about three to four feet tall and hop like a kangaroo! It’s quite terrifying to imagine it hopping at you with its bloodthirsty intent.
Its other reported form is that of a mutated wild dog. Despite a strange dog seeming more plausible than a reptile-creature, it still retains the otherworldly vampiric qualities.
However, many of these reports have turned out to be coyotes, or other wild dogs, with mange. I even found a person joking about photographing the “mythical chupacabra” in 2012, when it’s obviously a wild dog! (The poster says as such in the comments, but doesn’t make it clear in the post.)
Apart from these initial incidents, chupacabras have been sighted as far north as Maine and as far south as Chile. They can also be sighted throughout media, having appearances in X-Files, Magic: The Gathering, and Scooby Doo.
Color photo by Michael Snipes. Other images available in WikiMedia Commons. All images on this site are free usage!
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