Southwest Highways September 2013 | Page 6

SOUTHWEST

LEGENDS & Mysteries

The Chupacabra

Like Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster, the legendary Chupacabra is a mythical creature that people claim to see every year. Most Chupacabras are seen in the brush country of South Texas and Mexico, with a few sightings scattered around the world as far away as Russia. Some people only know the Chupacabra from Scooby Doo, which resembles a giant purple gorilla. While the creature is mythical, The Chupacabra is usually depicted as a reptile with spikes protuding out of its head and back. They are also often reported to resemble a hairless coyote. Now let's look at the history of this strange creature.

The Chupacabra legend began in Puerto Rico, where there were reports of goats that had their blood sucked dry. Chupacabra means" goat-sucker" in Spanish. The frst major reports surfaced around 1987, making the Chupacabra a recent discovery compared to other creatures such as Sasquatch. Since then, there have been many reports of strange livestock killings, mostly from the warmer climates of Texas, Florida and Mexico.

5 Southwest Highways

Chupacabra Statue resembling a coyote

At Buckhorn Museum, San Antonio, TX

-Eamon Decker

There have also been sightings of unusual animals resembling mutated coyotes that people have claimed are Chupacabras. These have mostly been from South Texas. In recent years, numerous "mystery carcasses" have been found on roadsides throughout the country, including Texas, Minnesota and Maine. When the animal is not easilly identified, locals often tag it as a "Chupacabra". Some of these mystery carcasses are never identified because they have been picked by vultures. A few of these carcasses