Beware of the chupacabra!

[Neo]

Beware of the Chupacabra!

It’s been described as a half man, half lizard/dinosaur thing that stalks goats at night and drains them of blood. According to the legend, the first reported attacks occurred in 1995 in Puerto Rico.
Ranchers reported the discovery of eight dead sheep, each with a three-hole puncture wound in its chest. They had all been drained of blood. Investigators could not attribute the attacks to any known predator. Over the next several months reports of attacks on livestock continued. Many of the incidents involved goats, so the locals named the mysterious creature ‘el chupacabras’ (the goat sucker). In each case the animal had been drained of blood, and small puncture wounds were located on its body. It wasn’t long before eyewitness descriptions of the creature began pouring in. The bizarre stories included reports of large oval red eyes, gray skin, a forked tounge and fangs. They say it’s 4 to 5 feet tall, and resembles a kangaroo in its movements. Three-toed tracks have also been reported and cannot be explained by zoologists.

Theories abound on just what the chupacabra might be. Some have suggested that it is actually a large vampire bat. That would explain the puncture wounds, but no bat is capable of completely draining its victim of blood. Wilder theories include aliens, demons and dinosaurs.




Some random accounts:

In November, 1997, chupacabras was back in its original stomping grounds where it killed two goats, bled another dry, and made off with a small kid from a small farm near Loíza, Puerto Rico. Investigating police believe that attack took place around 2 a.m., about the time a farm hand heard the "flutter of wings" and saw frightened horses and cows running "as if the devil were in pursuit."

On the night of November 12, 1997, near Perth, Australia, two friends investigating what sounded like the squealing of a wild pig, encountered a creature with large, piercing red eyes, a body covered with stringy matted hair, large teeth, and a distinctive sulfur-like odor. "It was about three feet high when on all fours," said the witness, "and about five feet when trying to stand up. In its mouth was part of a kangaroo. Within a split second, it leapt straight up - dinner and all - as if it had springs for legs."

Thirty-four hogs were found dead with the trademark puncture marks on November 17, 1997, near Aricibo, Puerto Rico. The pigs were being raised by inmates of the Sabana Hoyos prison who had planned to feast on the animals for Christmas dinner.

Near Hesperia in Southern California, a creature matching the description of the "goat sucker" attacked another pig in December, 1997. "I encountered something trying to get to my pig that was unbelievable," said the owner. "When I came around the corner, it stopped and looked up at me. My dogs seemed to be afraid of it. It then disappeared into the bushes."

On January 26, 1998, chupacabras was blamed for the mutilation of three cats at the home of Melvin Rosado in La Parguera, Puerto Rico. According the report, "one of the cats had its skin separated by a precise, bloodless incision."