Chupacabra: The "Goat Sucker" of Urban Legends

The chupacrabra is the subject of many urban legends. Conspiracy theorists, many of whom also believe in UFOs complete visitors from other worlds believe this creature is part of a government conspiracy to help keep people from panicking. Exactly what it looks like depends on the region in which it is sighted and in many cases the person who is telling you the tale.

The chupacabra got its name after a series of goats in Puerto Rico were found to have been killed by puncture wounds in their necks and the blood allegedly drained from the animals according to the Skeptic's Dictionary. The name for the legendary creature translates into English as "goat sucker."

The urban legends of the creature, if not the animal itself has been on the loose for over 50 years and people have reported from chupacabra attacks from the the southern part of the United States to Peru. The creature that lives off of livestock in a vampiric fashion has been a target of cryptozoologists for a while now, but so far no conclusive proof has been found of its existence.

People who believe deeply in the animal often accuses the governments in the areas where the attacks occurred of trying to cover information up in order to protect the public. Such claims go on, even despite the governor of Puerto Rico calling into an official investigation in the attacks that occurred on the soil of this US territory.

All the cases of the goat suckers attacks can be attributed to natural sources such as a cult practicing religious rites, other animals that naturally prey on livestock, or for the cynical skeptic, a human conducting some sort of bizarre prank.

What the chupacabra is and whether or not it is real is open to debate. Some eyewitnesses say it is a small-half alien, others claim it is a half-dinosaur tailless vampire with quills running down its back. In some accounts the creature is bipedal, other people who have seen the goat sucker claims it runs on all four legs. A few diehard believes claim that the creature is a pet of the alien type known as greys to UFOlogists. Rumors persist that the government captured a chupacabra and holds it in secret. If the animal does exists, cryptozoologists will have to prove it, and then biologists who study the known creatures instead of the merely plausible will take the research over.

Sources:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/chupacabra.htm

http://skepdic.com/chupa.html