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Chupacabra. Has a Mythical Beast Turned Up in Texas?

Last Edited: Saturday, 01 Sep 2007, 11:15 AM CDT
Created: Saturday, 01 Sep 2007, 11:15 AM CDT

Phylis Canion examines the head of what she is calling a Chupacabra at her home in Cuero, Texas, Friday, Aug. 31, 2007. Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical bloodsucking chupacabra. She found the strange looking animal dead outside her ranch and thinks it is responsible for killing many of her chickens. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) SideBar


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By ELIZABETH WHITE
Associated Press Writer


CUERO, Texas -- Phylis Canion lived in Africa for four years. She's been a hunter all her life and has the mounted heads of a zebra and other exotic animals in her house to prove it. But the roadkill she found last month outside her ranch was a new one even for her, worth putting in a freezer hidden from curious onlookers: Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra.

"It is one ugly creature," Canion said, holding the head of the mammal, which has big ears, large fanged teeth and grayish-blue, mostly hairless skin.

Canion and some of her neighbors discovered the 40-pound bodies of three of the animals over four days in July outside her ranch in Cuero, 80 miles southeast of San Antonio. Canion said she saved the head of the one she found so she can get to get to the bottom of its ancestry through DNA testing and then mount it for posterity.

She suspects, as have many rural denizens over the years, that a chupacabra may have killed as many as 26 of her chickens in the past couple of years.

"I've seen a lot of nasty stuff. I've never seen anything like this," she said.

What tipped Canion to the possibility that this was no ugly coyote, but perhaps the vampire-like beast, is that the chickens weren't eaten or carried off -- all the blood was drained from them, she said.

Chupacabra means "goat sucker" in Spanish, and it is said to have originated in Latin America, specifically Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Canion thinks recent heavy rains ran them right out of their dens.

"I think it could have wolf in it," Canion said. "It has to be a cross between two or three different things."

She said the finding has captured the imagination of locals, just like purported sightings of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster have elsewhere.

But what folks are calling a chupacabra is probably just a strange breed of dog, said veterinarian Travis Schaar of the Main Street Animal Hospital in nearby Victoria.

"I'm not going to tell you that's not a chupacabra. I just think in my opinion a chupacabra is a dog," said Schaar, who has seen Canion's find.

The "chupacabras" could have all been part of a mutated litter of dogs, or they may be a new kind of mutt, he said.

As for the bloodsucking, Schaar said that this particular canine may simply have a preference for blood, letting its prey bleed out and licking it up.

Chupacabra or not, the discovery has spawned a local and international craze. Canion has started selling T-shirts that read: "2007, The Summer of the Chupacabra, Cuero, Texas," accompanied by a caricature of the creature. The $5 shirts have gone all over the world, including Japan, Australia and Brunei. Schaar also said he has one.

"If everyone has a fun time with it, we'll keep doing it," she said. "It's good for Cuero."

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The pic of the alleged Chupacabra doens't even remotely resemble any eye witness accounts, minus the skin color. I have a friend that seen one up close while in the military. He was about 20-30 feet away from it. The pic from Texas looks like a hairless dog of some sort. I don't discount that Chubapacabras exist. I beleive they do. Many different Species of the creatures just any other they are not all exactly the same. However, all Chupacabra sighting speak of very large eyes. Ive seen only two pics so far that appear to be real. This You Tube video is cool, if it's fake the guys did a great job and seemed to be scared sh**less.VIDEO This is the best image I've seen yet, set up with a motion sensor camera this image was taken of a Chupacabra chasing a small deer. Notice the large eyes. Here is the blow up of same photo.

I am often amused by the military being brought up in conjunction with things like the Chuppa. I don't see the correlation.

The pictures look pretty fake of the chuppa chasing the deer.

I really don't know what to see about the chupa chasing the deer but it just seems a little fake I mean it looks like the video was altered so it can seem like it was a chuppa chasing a deer.

I think I have seen that picture before, but without the "Chupacabra".

But the story in the OP, isn't that the one with the canine carcass? I think this is like the third thread on it.

The deer looks real enough The Chupacabra doen't appear to be in any hurry, but hey, there isn't alot to go on image wise. I never said the military had anything to do with Chupacabra. I said my friend, seen a chupacabra. The fact he happened to be in the service should have been omittted. If Chupacabras are from Alien descent, you can bet your ass the government is well aware.

Dang vocalist calm down touchy touchy

Yes the thread has been done alot, You should check out the video. Now that you mention it the deer pic does look aweful familiar. My first impression was the rear legs aren't shaped correctly, and it appears to be not moving. Thanks for that refresher on the deer image, I think it's an old one from when I was in school.

The video is that "fallen angel" flick. The creators even admitted to making it. It's not even supposed to be a chupcabra.

See what you learn everyday? Back to the drawing board.

The fact that you said he saw one "while in the service" implies a lot.

That picture of the chupacabra is a fake. I used to have both pictures, the one edited and un-edited but it seems I deleted them..

Joel.

yes it looks like a fake doesn't it

I think the original is here:

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/galle...=15&pos=221

Also attached below.

Its a very odd looking dog though..

OMG not that dog again!!!

THAT IS SOOOOO FAKE.

even i can do that on photoshop!

That is just a normal canine. I'd say a wondering dog...almost a posible decaying coyote...nothing much