What on Earth is the Chupacabra?

Is the creature in the picture the Chupacabra? And what in the world is the Chupacabra? According to legend, it's a creature that sucks the blood from farm animals, with a special liking for goats. And that's what Chupacabra translates to - goatsucker.

But what, exactly, is this creature? No one knows for sure, it seems. Some say it doesn't even exist. But other people have theories about the creature. Some say it's an alien from outer space. Others say it is some sort of vampire. It may even be a beast from Hell because it's said it stinks of sulfur.

Even descriptions vary. Chupacabra has been described as cat-like. It might have red glowing eyes. Some say they have seen it crossing the country in giant hops, like a kangaroo. Others speak of its snake-like tongue.

Chupacabra lives on the island of Puerto Rico, but there have been sightings in several other regions. The first reported sightings were in the 1970s in Texas. People also claim to have seen the beast in Michigan, Oregon, Florida and Mexico. This may even be the creature sometimes called the New Jersey Devil. Costa Rica and El Salvador also claim sightings.

Many of these sightings include descriptions of animals drained of blood and the lack of tracks. Could there be any relationship between Chupacabra and the cattle mutilations that have been in the news? Many features of the attacks are similar.

Chupacabra is blamed for much death and devastation in Puerto Rico with everything from turkeys to horses and cows left drained and dead. Chickens and rabbits have also fallen pray to the so-called goatsucker.

Is the creature, perhaps, a large blood sucking bat so common in Central America? Yet another theory is the possibility that the creature is the result of animal experimentation gone awry.

Whether the Chupacabra is the culprit, or whether it's some other predator, something is attacking farm animals all over the Caribbean and in other parts of thew Americas, including Mexico and the United States. It's inflicting puncture wounds to the necks of these animals, sucking them dry and leaving behind the dead, empty carcasses and little else. Often no tracks are visible.

Is this a creature merely a figment of someone's imagination, something derived from a horror story? Or does it really exist, hiding away in caves or deep in the jungles? No one knows for sure. Like the yeti, the Loch Ness monster and the Abominable Snowman, the creature remains shrouded in mystery.

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