chupacabra
A definition
For the non-Puerto Ricans among us, the Chupacabra is a
creature that is currently rampaging through the island,
relieving farm animals of their blood. As of yet, the
Chupacabra, which translates into "goat-sucker", has not
attacked humans, although no one can say for certain that
this will not happen in the future. The origin of its name
comes from its earliest attacks, where goats were found
with their blood drained and with two peculiar puncture
marks on their necks. There have been reports alleging that
particular organs were missing from some of the victim's
bodies, without any visible way for those organs to have
been removed. Sightings have increased as the months go by,
fueling paranoia and fear. Speculation has placed the
Chupacabra as a resident of another galaxy (see the truth
behind the Chupacabra), or a half-man, half-beast vampire
who roams the countryside terrorizing farm animals. Others
say that the Chupacabra hops like a kangaroo and leaves a
sulfur-like stench. Still others say that the Chupacabra is
a panther-like creature with red eyes and a long snake-like
tongue. I, for one, think that the truth may lie in the UFO
area my theory being that the Chupacabra is actually the
pet panther, which hops like a kangaroo, of some
irresponsible aliens who let it wander around. Like
obnoxious relatives who let their children rampage through
the house, the aliens have overstayed their welcome in our
island
A Chupas Time-Line
CHUPAS TIMELINE
Mid-1970s
Rio Grande Valley South Texas
Sightings of what may have been a condor linked to a rash
of mutilated cattle. Blood was removed to the last drop.
Early 1970s.
Brownsville Texas
Rancher finds a bull dead - no blood around it, no tracks.
1994
Puerto Rico 4 or 6 "little greys" found under a bed and
chased out of the
house with a broom. (reported by Joyce Murphy.) March 11
1995
Orocovis
Eight sheep found dead. The animals had three strange marks
or puncture holes in the chest and were described as
"completely drained of blood."
August 1995
Canvanas, Puerto Rico
Chupacabra blamed for the death of about 150 animals. Sun
Nov 19 1995
Puerto Rico
The chupas is blamed in the deaths of dozens of turkeys,
rabbits, goats, cats, dogs and even horses and cows... Said
to have ripped open the bedroom window of a house in the
north-central city of Caguas, destroyed a stuffed teddy
bear, and left a puddle of slime and a piece of rancid
white meat on the windowsill. It had hairy arms and huge
red eyes. In another attack it came at about 7 a.m. "It
just showed up and -- poof -- it vanished."
Nov 19 1995 - 35 times in three months.
Canovanas Puerto Rico
Resident saw it one afternoon in his back yard when it came
out of the brush and bit the family dog. "I think it
belongs to the monkey family, but it isn't a monkey
exactly," he said. ``It ran like a monkey and was about
four feet tall, but it didn´t have a tail.´´
Dec 7
near Guanica, Puerto Rico
Unusual bloodless deaths of chickens and cows. Dec 14
Naguabo on the east coast
Several caged rabbits were "found dead with holes in the
neck area, without a drop of blood." Other rabbits had
disappeared. Near rabbit cage was a track with a three-toed
claw. Fri 15 Dec 1995
Puerto Rico
In one year is thought responsible for at least 1OOO
killings- goats, sheep, cattle, chickens and other animals.
There are many eye witness accounts. The creature is 4 - 6
feet tall, walks upright, is not humanoid, has large oval
alien type eyes. 18 Dec 1995
Puerto Rico
Animals died as the result of a single puncture mark found
on some part of the body which apparently drained them of
blood. One photo shows a Siamese cat with a puncture mark
through its skull. Dec 18 1995
Puerto Rico
Local tabloid Vocero echoed the possibility that giant
vampire bats had infiltrated the island in cargo shipments
proceeding from South America. Normal sized bats are fairly
common in the Caribbean.
Thurs Dec 21 3 am
near Guanica, Puerto Rivo
44-year-old Osvaldo Claudio Rosado was washing a car. He
was grabbed from behind. He tried to fight off the intruder
and saw a black-haired "gorilla" about five feet tall which
ran off. Rosado had cuts in his abdomen, possibly torn by
fingernails or claws.
Thurs Dec 21 1995
Klamath Falls
Pregnant heifer dead with her right ear gone, hide cut from
her face, the tongue cut lengthwise along the top of the
teeth, all four teats removed leaving black circles on the
surface of the udder, and the rectum and vagina cut out in
a neat "keyhole" cut. No blood at any of the excisions or
on the ground. Tues Dec 26 early morning hours
Puerto Rico - Torrecilla Baja region
Woman heard strange noises in her house and dog barking.
Siamese cat found dead with the genitals removed, two
guinea hens with their throats slit, a chicken with
"perforations," and four ducks and four rabbits dead in
their cages. Tues Dec 26 1995
Puerto Rico - San German
Eleven goats found dead.
Jan 4 1996
Isabella County, Michigan.
Eight calves frozen and dead. Two were skinned of their
hide from head to hooves; six were skinned of all their
hide from neck to hooves. All were black and white
Holsteins and about a week old. Jan 7 1996
Klamath Falls, Oregon
One week old calf dead and mutilated. Right ear had been
cut off and the entire skull had been removed. NW Miami
rural area
March 1996
Killed about 40 animals. One woman saw a dog-like figure
standing up, with two short hands in the air. May 2 1996
Rio Grande Valley South Texas
Pet goat dead with three puncture wounds in its neck. 6
y.o. goat found with "telltale marks of the "Chupacabra"
Thur May 2
Juarez Mexico
Many small mammels, dogs, etc. have met with this tall
"animal"-like being with three toed feet and hands, on
haunches with the fore arms suspended at chest level very
similar to a kangaroo. It has a row of spikes or straight
feather like projections from it's head and down it's back
that raise and lower and have been seen to glow with their
own light. Has been seen to take off on all fours. The
"sucking " device seems to be a tube like projection from
the mouth.
Thur May 2 1996
Mexico and Miami
Attacks are becoming more distributed. Wounds resemble 1/4"
holes similar to a biopsy puncture that extend completely
through muscle tissue and in at least one instance the
wounds were discovered pronouncedly through the inner
tissue without leaving any wound traces on the surface
layer skin. May 3 1996
Calderon Village Sinaloa, Northern Mexico. A giant bat-like
creature terrorizes a village. Goats are found daily with
their blood sucked dry, witnesses said today. Farmers have
formed night vigilante squads. "We are telling people to
keep the women and children locked up inside at night" a
villager said, "Nobody knows really what it is." Dozens of
goats have fallen victim to the bloodsucker. It has
allegedly attacked one human. Fri May 3
Mexican State of Sonora - Veracruz and Agua Prieta.
Numerous animals drained of blood and a vague report of a
human suffering the same fate.
Fri May 3 Sinaloa State, the state below Sonora State. Dead
cows and sheep. The animal(s) is described as 1-1.5 feet
and able to take flight.
Fri May 3
Six other states in Mexico Similar attacks have been
reported. May 9 1996 2 a.m.
Espinoza Family - a front door was opened and a creature
was seen 3 to 4 foot high with scaly skin, clawed hands,
red eyes, and a row of spines from the skullcap and down
the back. The creature "mumbled and gestured". May 9 1996
5-5.3O a.m. - dawn
A seven year old boy in the same house said the creature
stood on his bed and briefly on his chest. Both the older
and younger Espinoza family members described a smell "like
a wet dog."
May 10 1996
Florida
Reports of a chupacabra among Hispanics. Wed May 12Mexico's
southern state of Chiapas 28 dead rams found with puncture
marks
"The world's 3 species of blood-sucking bats live
predominantly in the warm climates of Latin America.
Similar recent cases have emerged from Puerto Rico, Costa
Rica and El Salvador." "Puerto Rico harbors a number of
military animal research laboratories."
"Seeing either the creature or moving lights in the sky has
led to speculation that the chupacabras might be from outer
space." "The New Jersey Devil adheres to descriptions of
physical appearence as well as the nature of the wounds.
Puncture wounds are often left resembling the classic
vampire bite." "Very large, slanted, glowing red eyes. Face
is flat, perhaps simian-like, body some say is covered with
spotted skin "like a frog's" or has "spikes on its head and
back" with "chicken legs" that have a 3-toed foot about six
inches long. Such tracks have been found and photographed
in dirt near dead animals. This creature has been seen to
hop, or fly, from the ground to a tree or from trees to the
ground."
"It attacks so fast, everything from horses to sheep. It
sucks out the blood completely."
There is a body of thought that the bats properly belong in
the primate family. If so then these dudes are our rellies.
Note that humans are the easiest of prey compared to goats
and other animals yet there is no evidence they have hurt
anyone. Also note the similarities with spring heeled jack,
jack the ripper and the "devil" of the 15th-17th century
that may have sparked the witchunts. Hmmm. There'll be some
red Christian faces if this turns out to be so.
Related stories:
Chupacabramania Reigns
Tales of Mysterious 'Goatsucker' Fascinate, Terrorize
Mexico Mexican 'Goatsucker' Story Becoming Litmus Test for
Cynicism Among Journalists
It's an exclusive club that includes the Loch Ness Monster,
Bigfoot, aliens, ghosts and leprechauns. Now there's a new
member: Chupacabras. Chupacabras (pronounced
Chew-pah-kahb-rahs) means "goat sucker'' in Spanish. First
reported in Puerto Rico almost two years ago, the
Chupacabras has become monstrously famous on the island.
And now, thanks to almost constant publicity in the
Spanish-language media in the mainland United States,
Chupacabras is steadily gaining notoriety among many
Latinos here -- including a Cambridge, Mass. resident who
reportedly sighted the Chupacabras there. Some who claim to
have seen it say that it stands between 4 and 5 feet tall,
has red eyes, fangs, grey skin, powerful hind legs, spinal
quills that double as wings and a penchant for sucking the
blood out of livestock and pets.
The Chupacabras sightings are vast, including in Miami, New
York City, New Jersey, San Antonio, San Francisco and even
Moscow. But a letter sent to the Massachusetts office of
the Puerto Rican government last month trumpeted the first
local "appearance.'' The letter, written by hand in
Spanish, was addressed to the 'Very esteemed governer (of
Puerto Rico),'' and began: "This letter is to give you some
very important information regarding national security.''
It went on to say: "You can find the Chupacabras near
Pampas restaurant in Cambridge,'' where it was spotted
drinking the blood of a cat. Finally, the letter, which is
two pages long and quite serious in tone, ended with "I
await your help in this matter.'' "When I first saw that
letter I said, OK, this might be some kind of psycho,''
said Tito Roman, director of the office. "And because there
was no return address we couldn't really respond to it. But
we got a good laugh out of it. I thought, oh Jesus, it's
been spotted in Cambridge now. Run for your life!''
The Cambridge letter is just one example of what can be
best described as Chupacabramania, fueled primarily by
Spanish-language media, including the popular Miami-based
Univision talk show "Cristina.'' Sujayla Curras was the
producer of a recent "Cristina'' episode about the
Chupacabras. "Chupacabras is hot,'' she said in a telephone
interview. "It's happening. There are T-shirts about it,
merchandising like you wouldn't believe. ... It's got it
going on, like Brad Pitt.'' Locally, $10 Chupacabras
T-shirts are for sale at many stores, including La
Discoteca, a variety store on Washington Street in Roxbury.
"We've sold out three times in the last month,'' said a
cashier, chuckling. Many consumers of Chupacabras
merchandise say they view the mischievous creature as a
kind of cultural mascot, similar to the Irish leprechaun.
There is even a Chupacabras home page on the Internet,
which is said to have gotten as many as 340 hits in a day
for a total of 20,000 since it was created last year.
And local Spanish radio stations are playing songs
dedicated to the beast, such as "Goat Busters'' and
"Chupacalafragalisticexpialidocious.''
It all began in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, where goats and
other domesticated animals were reportedly showing up with
deep puncture wounds in their necks. About 30 citizens of
the town have reported seeing the beast walking down the
street, swooping out of the sky or leaping over trees.
Ismael Aguayo works in the civil defense office in the
town, and is the chief detective in the Chupacabras
sightings there. "We are all very worried here,'' he said.
"Our animals are dying at an alarming rate. Many people
have described the creature to me, and they all say the
same things, including our local pastor and many other
credible, Christian citizens. For now it's just animals
being attacked. But we are worried that our children will
be next.''
The mayor of the Canóvanas, José Soto, responded to public
panic there by leading a search for the Chupacabras, armed
with a 12-inch crucifix. "The search included our civil
defense forces and the police of our town,'' said Nidea
Rodríguez, the director of public relations in Soto's
office. The search was inconclusive, she said, and the
investigation continues.
As outrageous as the idea of a Chupacabras may seem, dozens
of animal carcasses have been turned in to the government
of Puerto Rico, especially in the Canovanas area, prompting
many skeptics, including talk show host Cristina Saralege,
to change their minds. "I used to laugh every time someone
mentioned the Chupacabras,'' said Saralege in a telephone
interview. "But after doing the show and listening to many
serious, credible people, I have to tell you, I don't think
all the US sightings are the Chupacabras, but as far as
what's going on in Puerto Rico, I don't think it's a normal
animal at all.'' Meanwhile, the Puerto Rico government,
responding to what it called "hysteria'' fueled by comments
from talk show hosts and others, began conducting public
necropsies on animals supposedly killed by the Chupacabras.
The conclusion: That the Chupacabras is most likely a large
stray dog. Nonetheless, the sightings continue. Three weeks
after the first airing of the Cristina show in Miami, the
Chupacabras appeared there. Three weeks after that, it was
in LA. In Miami to date, as many as 50 animals have been
reported as victims of the Chupacabra. "People here are
hysterical,'' said a Miami police department spokesman.
Last Monday, the University of Miami, working with the
Metro Zoo, conducted public necropsies on animals
supposedly murdered by the Chupacabras in Dade County in an
attempt to assuage growing fears. "The event was
well-attended and well-covered by the local press, Spanish
and English,'' said Miami police detective Pat Brickman. He
said that in the months leading up to the autopsies, the
Miami police were receiving dozens of Chupacabras reports
weekly. "We had to conduct these autopsies to say, 'Idiots,
these are dog bites,''' said Brickman. "There are hungry
stray dogs out there, and they have to eat, too. So they
attack goats and chickens in people's yards.
"It happens on every farm and in every rural area in the
United States. But when you get people who believe in the
tooth fairy and the Easter bunny, they believe everything
they see on TV.'' Some say the myth of the Chupacabras
should not be so easily dismissed, however. At least one
other legendary creature in Puerto Rican history -- the
Vampire of Moca -- turned out to be real, sort of. The
"vampire,'' which mauled animals, turned out to be
crocodiles introduced illegally into the delicate ecology
of the small island and had mauled animals as they sought
refreshment at certain watering holes. "While it's funny to
laugh about the Chupacabras, we should not discount the
mounds of evidence people have found, nor should we
disrespect the reports of hundreds of people,'' said Hector
'Tito' Armstrong, the Princeton University student who
inititated the Chupacabras homepage. Whatever the truth is
about the Chupacabras legend, one thing is certain: It is
popular, it's here and it's profitable.
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