Sightings began in Puerto Rico in the early 1990s, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile. Though some argue that the chupacabras may be real creatures, mainstream scientists and experts generally contend that the chupacabra is a legendary creature, or a type of urban legend. It is supposedly a heavy creature, about the size of a small bear with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail.
(cited from Wikipedia)
Description
There are several variations of what people believe the Chupacabra to look like. The current theory is that it is a bipedal creature around four to five feet tall described as a sort of a cross between a 'Grey' alien humanoid, mainly because the shape of its head and eyes, and what most witnesses describe as the body of a bipedal, erect dinosaur. It has two small arms with a three-fingered clawed hand, two strong hind almost reptilian legs, again with three claws and spinal quills down its back, which it uses to fly. This appears to enable it to run quickly and leap over trees. Its head is oval in shape and has an elongated jaw.
Two red or black beady eyes have been reported, together with small holes in the nostril area, a small slit-like mouth with fang-type teeth protruding upwards and downwards from the jaw.
It appears to have strong course hair all over its body; and whilst most observers claim the hair is black, it has the remarkable ability to change colours at will, almost like a chamaleon. In the dark, it will change to black or a deep brown colour; in a sunlit area surrounded by vegetation, it changes to green, green-grey, light brown or beige.
Some believes it to be a half-man, half-beast vampire, while still others say it is similar to a panther with red eyes and the tongue of a snake.
Another version is that it hops like a kangaroo and smells like sulfur.
(cited from Monstrous.com)
Theories
* Chupacabras have been described as similar in appearance to gargoyles, so it has been theorized that the creatures were seen in Medieval Europe, and possibly taken to South America on board Spanish galleons. According to this theory, gargoyles were carved to resemble chupacabras, to keep the public (and sometimes believed to keep evil spirits) afraid of any place with gargoyles.
* Some cryptozoologists speculate that chupacabras are alien creatures. Chupacabras are widely described as otherworldly, and, according to one witness report, NASA may be involved with this particular alien's residency on earth. The witness reported that NASA passed through an area in Latin America, with a trailer that was thought to contain an incarcerated creature.[citation needed] There have also been UFOs seen where chupacabras have been at the same time on occasion. Others speculate that the creature is an escaped pet of alien visitors that wandered off while its master was visiting Earth. The Chupacabra does have a slight resemblance to the Greys, which could mean that they are somehow related.
* Some people in the island of Puerto Rico believe that the chupacabras were a genetic experiment from some United States' government agency, which escaped from a secret laboratory in El Yunque, a mountain in the east part of the island when the laboratory was damaged during a severe storm in the early 1990s. The US military have had a large presence across Puerto Rico since the 1930s, with bases on the island used as Research and Development facilities (amongst other things) up to the present day. The lethal agent orange chemicals were tested by the US on the crops of Puerto Rico in widespread crop-spraying operations, all performed without notifying local people or farmers, and the efficacy and safety of contraceptive medicines was also secretly tested on islanders who had no knowledge of their 'guinea pig' status at all. ("UFO's Strangest Mysteries", Discovery Science) This may explain some of this alleged paranoia.
* Another possibility would involve giant vampire bats of which a few fossils have been found in South-America.
* Most scholars believe that the Chupacabra is most likely to be a close relative of the Aye-aye, a primate that is Madagascar's equivalent to the racoon in appearance and woodpecker ecologically. Like the vampire bat, the Chupacabra evolved to feed on the blood of other animals.
(cited from Wikipedia)
Chupacabra Sightings
* July 2004: A rancher near San Antonio, Texas, killed a hairless, dog-like creature which was attacking his livestock. This creature is now known as the Elmendorf Creature. It was later determined to be an unknown canine of some sort, similar to a coyote with demodectic mange. Two animals which closely resemble the Elmendorf Creature were observed in the same area. The first was dead, and a local zoologist who was called to identify the animal noticed the second while she was traveling to the location where the first was found. Specimens of the dead animal were studied by biologists in Texas, who found that the creatures were some sort of canines of an undetermined species.[1]
* October 2004: Two animals which closely resemble the Elmendorf Creature were observed in the same area. The first was dead, and a local zoologist who was called to identify the animal noticed the second while she was traveling to the location where the first was found. Specimens of the dead animal were studied by biologists in Texas, who found that the creatures were some sort of canines of an undetermined species.
* 2005: In Coleman, Texas, a farmer named Reggie Lagow caught an unknown animal in a trap he set up after the deaths of a number of his chickens and turkeys. The animal appeared to be a mix between a hairless dog, a rat and a kangaroo. The mystery animal was reported to Texas Parks and Wildlife in hopes of determining what it was, but Lagow said in a September 17th, 2006, phone interview with John Adolfi, founder of the Lost World Museum, that the "critter was caught on a Tuesday and thrown out in Thursday's trash." Article
* April 2006: MosNews reported that the chupacabra was spotted in Russia for the first time. Reports from Central Russia beginning in March 2005 tell of a beast that kills animals and sucks out their blood. Thirty-two turkeys were killed and drained overnight. Reports later came from neighboring villages when 30 sheep were killed and had their blood drained. Finally eyewitnesses were able to describe the chupacabra. In May of 2006, experts were determined to track the animal down. Article
* August 2006: Michelle O'Donnell of Turner, Maine, described an "evil looking" rodent-like creature with fangs that had been found dead alongside a road. The mystery beast was apparently struck by a car, and was otherwise unidentifiable. Photographs were taken and several witness reports seem to be in relative agreement that the creature was canine in appearance, but unlike any dog or wolf in the area. The carcass was picked clean by vultures before experts could examine it. For years, residents of Maine have reported a mysterious creature and a string of dog maulings.
* September 2006: The Lost World Museum acquired the remains of what may be a Chupacabra. Spotted, hunted and killed in late August 2006, 15 year old Geordie Decker and 16 year old Josh Underwood of Berkshire, New York handed over the bones of a small fox like beast that hopped, had yellow eyes and an orange strip of hair going down its almost bald gray back, to Museum owner John Adolfi. Its bones are currently on display on the Lost World Museum's web site while further examination and investigation continues.
* December 2006: A local farmer in Peru claimed to have seen a creature fitting a particular description attacking a wild boar on his farm. The man, who referred to the creature as "Zahir," later told the authorities that he feared for his life when he saw the creature devour the boar within minutes. The creature then ran faster than any animal the farmer has ever seen. Shocked at the sight of the creature, the farmer stated that he is haunted by the evil in the Zahir's eyes.
* 2007: The most recent, undocumented sighting of the Chupacabra was in Hawaii on the island of Maui. Witnesses who apparently saw the beast outside of the Kuia Leia Airport, described the creature as half dog half human. Cryptozoologists believe that descriptions of the different Chupacabra may in fact be breeds.
(cited from Wikipedia)
Chupacabra Movies
(all movie descriptions cited from Netflix.com)
Legend of the Chupacabra
(2000)When zoology student Maria Esperanza (Katsy Joiner) videotapes a mysterious creature mutilating her uncle's goats -- and her uncle -- she's determined to find out what it is. Esperanza is joined in her search by a team of fellow students and one tough ex-Marine. Soon, however, the sleuths uncover something far more disturbing than just the vicious, goat-sucking Chupacabra in this gory horror thriller co-starring Chris Doughton and Kevin Sloan.
Adventures Beyond: Killer Chupacabra
(2001)Adventures Beyond goes in search of answers to three mysterious events. In "Killer Chupacabra," the team travels to remote regions of Mexico to uncover the legend of the Chupacabra, a blood-sucking, goat-like creature. Next, the crew goes to Scotland and spends the night in the most haunted and dangerous "Dark Castle" in all of Europe. And in "Graveyard X," the team uses night vision cameras to film ghosts coming out of graves at a Midwestern cemetery.
Chupacabra Terror
(2005)A zoologist (Giancarlo Esposito) finally proves the existence of Latin America's legendary man-eater, El Chupacabra, when he captures the beast, but his happiness is short-lived when the creature escapes and goes on a feeding frenzy. The scientist sneaks El Chupacabra aboard a cruise ship, where it breaks out of its cage and feasts on the sumptuous passenger-buffet. The captain (John Rhys-Davies) calls in a team of Navy SEALs to end the terror.
Bloodthirst 2: Revenge of the Chupacabras
(2005)The search for a missing college coed leads Det. Steve Andrews (Bruce Shaw) to a mental asylum to see a patient babbling about the Chupacabras, a vampirelike beast that may be to blame for the girl's disappearance. But the inmate -- who says he trapped the hideous creature in an abandoned mine -- breaks out before the gumshoe has a chance to talk to him. Can Andrews track down the patient and the monster before it's too late?
Mexican Werewolf in Texas
(2005)A half-dead Texas border town is rudely awakened when a series of grisly murders occurs, and the town is convinced a chupacabra is responsible. Four high school students craft a plan to capture the werewolf, but one man's racism complicates an already horrific situation and adds to the town's hysteria. What begins as a supernatural panic leads to a town divided and a group of young people battling two very different forms of beastly terror.