The Chupacabra is one of my favorite mythical beasties. During the few years of 1996-1998, at least four sightings of the “Goat Sucker” were reported in the Southern California paranormal and unexplained communities, and most ended up on the local radio and TV stations, especially the stations like KLOS, KROQ and KLSX.
The legend of El Chupacabra began in about 1992, when Puerto Rican newspapers El Vocero and El Nuevo Dia began reporting the killings of many different types of animals, such as birds, horses and goats. At the time it was known as “El Vampiro de Moca” since some of the first killings occurred in the small town of Moca, Puerto Rico.
While at first it was suspected that the killings were done randomly by some members of a Satanic cult or other secret society, eventually these killings spread around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. The killings had one pattern in common: each of the animals found dead had two punctured holes around their necks.
Soon after the animal deaths in Puerto Rico, other animal deaths were reported in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Brazil, the United States and, most notably, Mexico.
Both in Puerto Rico and Mexico, “el chupacabra” gained urban legend status. Chupacabra stories began to be released several times in American and Hispanic newscasts across the United States, and chupacabra merchandise, such as t-shirts and baseball hats, were sold.
The chupacabra is generally treated as a product of mass hysteria, though the animal mutilations are sometimes real. Like many cases of such mutilations, however, it’s been argued that they are often not as mysterious as they might first appear.
Since then, many Cryptozooligists have speculated that the “Chupacabra” might be related to the “Jersey Devil”, which is variously described as being a bird or bat-like creature with hooves, much like the Chupie (minus the hooves), that has haunted the New Jersey area for about 260 years. Both of these creatures hunt animals, and are considered meat/blood drinkers. The Jersey Devil killing sheep, dogs and cats, as well as small children. The Chupacabra tending towards fowl, goats, horses and cattle.
Then again, it could have some leanings toward “Spring Heeled Jack” who terrorized England between 1837 and 1904. However “Jack” is usually seen in a human form, and is known to spit blue and white fire, which the Chupie does not, and there is only one witness who testified the Jersey Devil was capable of “spurting flames”.
Sightings of El Chupacabra have not died down over the past 10 years. The most recent sightings have been all over the globe, with reports of The Chupacabra turning up in April 2006 in Central Russia (a first) and in August 2006 in Maine. In 2007 the reports were coming from Columbia and again in Texas, where the Chupie has been seen before. The most recent reports widely noted, where in the Phillipines in January of 2008.
