A creature blamed for livestock deaths, first widely reported in Puerto Rico in 1995. Later reports from northern Mexico and the southern United States have turned out, when examined, to be dogs or coyotes with severe mange.[1]
By the Project Strange team · Not yet reviewed line by line · 1 source
On this page
At a glance
- Also known as
- Chupacabras · Goatsucker
- Subject
- Modern legend · Reported sightings
- Associated places
- Puerto Rico · Southwestern United States · Latin America
- Sourcing
- 1 source listed · 1 cited inline. Not yet reviewed line by line.
Background
BackgroundHistory, folklore and cultural context.
The name — Spanish for "goat-sucker" — is generally credited to Puerto Rican comedian Silverio Pérez, who coined it on his radio show in 1995 while discussing livestock attacks.[1] The first attack later linked to the creature was reported in March 1995, when eight sheep were found dead with puncture wounds and were said to have been drained of blood. In August, Madelyne Tolentino of Canóvanas reported seeing the creature.[1]
Reports have since come from across the Americas and beyond, but remain anecdotal.[1] Animals examined in Texas and elsewhere have been identified as coyotes, dogs or other mammals with sarcoptic mange, which leaves them hairless and grey-skinned.[1]
Benjamin Radford’s five-year investigation, published in 2011 as Tracking the Chupacabra, concluded that Tolentino’s description was based on the alien creature Sil from the 1995 film Species.[1]
What witnesses describe
Witness claimsFeatures that recur in accounts. These are claims, not established facts.
- Original type: 4–5 ft bipedal, reptilian, spines along the back, large red eyes
- Texas/US type: hairless quadruped resembling a canid with severe mange
- Leaves puncture wounds — one to three holes — on victims' necks or bodies
- Animal victims found drained of blood with no external pooling
- No signs of struggle at attack sites
- Described as moving with great speed and able to leap large distances
- Reported attacks occurring at night, no direct livestock predation during the day
Notable cases
Each case is labelled by the kind of account it rests on.
1995Canóvanas, Puerto RicoWitness claim
Puerto Rico outbreak
In 1995, livestock deaths in Puerto Rico were blamed on a mysterious attacker; in August, Madelyne Tolentino of Canóvanas described a creature she said she had seen.[1]
Read the story as commonly toldHide the story
Unverified: this is the traditional telling of the case. Its details have not been checked against sources and may be inaccurate.
Mayor José Soto led armed hunts after hundreds of animals were found dead with puncture wounds and no blood. Eyewitness Madelyne Tolentino described a 4-foot reptilian creature with large oval eyes and spines.
Disputed or contrary evidence
Benjamin Radford concluded that Tolentino’s description matched the creature in the film Species, released that year.[1]
2007Cuero, TXDocumented
Phylis Canion discovery
In August 2007, Phylis Canion of Cuero, Texas, photographed and preserved a strange-looking carcass found near her land, blaming similar animals for the loss of about 30 chickens over several years.[1]
Read the story as commonly toldHide the story
Unverified: this is the traditional telling of the case. Its details have not been checked against sources and may be inaccurate.
A rancher found a hairless blue-grey creature struck by a vehicle. DNA testing at Texas State University identified it as a coyote-wolf hybrid — but its unusual appearance fuelled widespread interest in the "Texas chupacabra."
Disputed or contrary evidence
Examination pointed to a canid with mange, which may explain its grey-blue skin.[1]
2018Calama, ChileLater retelling
Chilean livestock deaths
Livestock deaths in northern Chile have also been attributed to the chupacabra in local media. We have not yet found a reliable source for the 2018 case described here.
Read the story as commonly toldHide the story
Unverified: this is the traditional telling of the case. Its details have not been checked against sources and may be inaccurate.
Dozens of goats in the Atacama region were found dead with precise puncture wounds and no blood. Chilean media covered the cases; veterinarians could not identify the predator from the wound pattern.
Explanations
InterpretationGrouped by the kind of explanation, not ranked by likelihood.
Conventional explanations
Known animals, natural processes, perception, memory, or hoaxes. These rely on things that are well established; whether one fits a particular case depends on the case.
- Known predators (owls, coyotes) with unusual feeding behaviour
- Mass hysteria combined with normal predation misattributed to a mythical cause
Unconfirmed natural or human explanations
Would require an undiscovered species, an unrecognised natural effect, or secret human activity. Possible in principle, but not demonstrated.
- Undiscovered predatory animal native to the Caribbean with unusual feeding biology
- Escaped government bioweapon or genetic experiment
Paranormal and speculative ideas
Depend on entities, forces or physics that no evidence has established.
- Extraterrestrial entity collecting biological material
References
Numbered as cited in the text; sources not cited inline are listed afterwards as background reading.
- 1.ChupacabraWikipedia
Known gaps
- An earlier version of this entry said veterinary pathologists had confirmed the Puerto Rico injuries were inconsistent with any known predator. Our sources do not support this.
Know something we missed?
Strangepedia is maintained by the Project Strange team. If you have a correction, a source, or a case to add, send a suggestion and we’ll review it.
Suggest an editCommunity reports
Top-voted reports from Project Strange members in the Cryptids category. These are first-hand accounts, not verified events.
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