First reported in Puerto Rico in 1995, when eight sheep were found drained of blood. Sightings spread to the southern United States and Mexico, describing a half-bat, half-kangaroo creature with spikes on its back and large red eyes, attacking livestock and draining their blood. Its name means goat-sucker in Spanish, and it quickly became a pop culture symbol across Latin America and the southwestern United States.
Account
First reported in Puerto Rico in 1995, when eight sheep were found drained of blood. Sightings spread to the southern United States and Mexico, describing a half-bat, half-kangaroo creature with spikes on its back and large red eyes, attacking livestock and draining their blood. Its name means goat-sucker in Spanish, and it quickly became a pop culture symbol.
Debunked
Most Chupacabra carcasses captured after the 1990s were identified by veterinarians as coyotes, foxes, or wild dogs suffering from mange. The loss of hair exposed the spine, which was misread as spikes. The blood-draining was actually caused by blood soaking into the skin during normal predation.
Sources
- 1995 Puerto Rico media reports
- American Veterinary Medical Association identification reports on coyote carcasses