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Is the cryptid animal, the Chupacabra, really a coyote or a raccoon suffering from mange? One academic from the Texas A&M University seems to think so.
Cryptids are creatures that are unknown, legendary, or extinct and whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated. Cryptids have been reported on every continent and several cultures.
They include the Yeti of the Himalayas, Big Foot or the Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest in North America, the Yowie of the Australian Outback, the Yeren of China and even the Monkey Man of Delhi, famously profiled in Bollywood flick, Delhi 6.
There are also Nessie, the Loch Ness monster of Scotland; Mokele Mbembe, the dinosaur-like creature of the Congo; the Chupacabra of Latin America and the Caribbean; the Kraken of Scandinavia and Steller’s Sea Ape, sighted by George Steller during the Great Northern Expedition led by Vitus Bering for the Russian Empire some centuries ago.
The study of cryptids is known as ‘cryptozoology’. Much debate has raged over whether it is an actual science or a pseudo one.
The legend of the chupacabra originates from the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Discovered by the Spanish Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon and taken over by the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898, the myth regarding the chupacabra began on the island following reports of livestock deaths in which the animals had seemingly been drained of blood, according to the American Museum of Natural History.
Witnesses reported a grey, scaley skin, protruding dorsal spines, menacing fangs and a proclivity for small livestock, a statement by Texas A&M stated. The term ‘chupacabra’ comes from Spanish and means ‘goat sucker’.
From Puerto Rico, the legend spread across the Americas, including the United States which has had its own cryptids including the ‘Dogman’ of Michigan and Wisconsin’s ‘Beast of Bray Road’.
However, John Tomeček, associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management feels that scientific, rather than supernatural reasons, can explain the legend of the chupacabra.
He feels it could be actually a sick animal afflicted with the disease, mange.
“Mange is a debilitating disease that can infect a wide range of fur-bearing mammals,” Tomeček was quoted as saying the statement. “Depending on the animal’s ability to overcome the symptoms of mange, the condition can become chronic, leading to behavioral changes and even death.”
“On canids, the last place they lose fur is right between the shoulder blades in an area that we call the ruff,” Tomeček said. “This fits descriptions of chupacabras having spikes or a ridge along their backs.”
What’s more, animals that are infested with mange become gaunt and emaciated, again something that fits in with the characteristics described for the chupacabra.
Tomeček once came across a dead animal that had died of mange. It was not a coyote. Only after examining its teeth and paws did he realise that it was a raccoon.
The painful disease gets extremely torturous for the afflicted animal in the last stages. It saps its vigour, making it seek easy prey by taking risks that a healthy animal would not otherwise take.
In most cases, the small livestock killed during suspected chupacabra attacks are confined to cages or corrals, which Tomeček said is consistent with predation from a sick animal.
“Any predatory animal that is debilitated must seek out easier prey because wild prey are typically agile and wary,” he said.
Another tell-tale sign is the puncture wounds on the victims of alleged chupacabra attacks. These too correspond with how a coyote kills its prey.
“Coyote’s mouths are not good at getting and maintaining a grip, so they have to re-bite,” Tomeček said. “In doing so, they may end up exsanguinating the animal because of puncture wounds to the jugular vein.”
He said reports of chupacabras fully draining an animal of blood may also be explained by how rapidly blood will settle and coagulate within the dead animal, making it appear as though it has been drained.
“When dealing with a ‘chupacabra,’ we are dealing with a real animal — typically a coyote — that’s experiencing a serious health problem,” Tomeček said. “Treat the situation accordingly so we can help steward our wildlife resources.”
