In 1975, a series of livestock killings in the small town of
Moca, Puerto Rico were attributed to ('the vampire of Moca'). Initially, it was suspected that the killings were committed by a
Satanic cult; later more killings were reported around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. Each of the animals was reported to have had its body bled dry through a series of small circular incisions. The first reported attack eventually attributed to the actual chupacabras occurred in March 1995. Eight sheep were discovered dead in Puerto Rico, each with three puncture wounds in the chest area and reportedly completely drained of blood. A few months later, in August, an eyewitness named Madelyne Tolentino reported seeing the creature in the Puerto Rican town of
Canóvanas, where as many as 150 farm animals and pets were reportedly killed. In April 2000, in the mining city of
Calama (in northern
Chile), around one hundred farm animals were reported drained of blood or mutilated in a very unusual manner, a situation that continued until nearly the end of 2002. Soon, a series of complaints reported by the sensationalist press emerged from other parts of the country, although nothing extraordinary was ever confirmed. A farmer killed a
güiña, attracting international attention, and others mistook the fetus of a
monito del monte for the creature. An urban myth arose that a supposed
NASA mission had arrived in the country to study the phenomenon. After much speculation, studies concluded that the attacks were caused solely by dogs: “Both the footprints and hair indicated they were domestic dogs.” In the first half of 2002, mutilated cattle were found in several areas of
Argentina (in the region between the provinces of
Río Negro and
Santa Fe). Although removal of the animals' reproductive organs was observed, the media associated the events with the chupacabra phenomenon or with satanic sect rituals. Shortly thereafter, the
Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASA) concluded that the mutilations had been carried out by
foxes or
hocicudo rats. In July 2004, a rancher killed a creature resembling a hairless dog, which he discovered attacking his livestock near
San Antonio,
Texas. The animal, initially named the Elmendorf Beast, was later identified as a coyote with
sarcoptic mange after its
DNA was examined by the
University of California, Davis. In October of that same year, two more carcasses were found in the same area. Biologists in Texas examined samples from both carcasses and determined that they were also coyotes suffering from very severe cases of mange. In
Coleman County, Texas, a farmer named Reggie Lagow captured an animal using a trap he had set after some of his poultry were found dead. The animal's appearance was described as a mixture of
hairless dog,
rat and
kangaroo. Lagow made the animal available to Texas parks and wildlife officials for identification, although he later stated in an interview with John Adolfi that he had disposed of the creature two days after finding it. In mid-August 2006, a woman named Michelle O'Donnell, from
Maine, photographed a strange animal by a roadside. O'Donnell recalled having seen the same animal near her home a week earlier, and her husband described it as a mixture between a rodent and a canid. The animal had apparently been struck by a car and was not identifiable. It was originally reported that the carcass had been destroyed by vultures before experts could examine it, but later wildlife officials were able to obtain a
DNA sample, determining that it was a
hybrid of wolf and dog. In August 2007, a woman named Phylis Canion was informed of the discovery of the remains of a strange-looking animal in
Cuero, Texas, outside the property of a neighbor. Canion had spent the previous weeks attempting to photograph or film a supposed strange creature she believed responsible for the deaths of around 30 of her chickens over several years. Canion also claimed to have seen three creatures similar to the remains discovered. After photographing the remains, Canion contacted a taxidermist to preserve the creature, which she later began displaying in her home. After the story gained national attention, experts from
Texas State University–San Marcos offered to conduct DNA testing. The analysis identified the creature as a
coyote. Unsatisfied, Canion contacted experts at the
University of California, Davis for a second analysis, which determined that the creature was specifically a hybrid: a cross between a
coyote and a
Mexican wolf. The animal was the size of a coyote but hairless, with a long snout, short front legs, and long hind legs. Sheriff Jode Zavesky suspected it was the same type of coyote identified in 2007. In September 2009,
CNN broadcast a video showing a close-up of an unidentified dead animal. Local speculation suggested it might be a chupacabra. A taxidermist in
Blanco County, Texas stated that the animal was likely a genetically mutated coyote. In July 2010, animal control officers reportedly shot and killed a supposed chupacabra in
Hood County, Texas. Scientists from
Texas A&M University later identified it as a coyote–dog hybrid with signs of mange and internal
parasites. On 18 December 2010, in
Nelson County, Kentucky, a man named Mark Cothren shot and killed an unrecognizable animal. Numerous photographs were taken, and the story was widely reported. The animal was described as having long ears, whiskers, a long tail, and being the size of a domestic cat. It was reportedly submitted for analysis. On 4 July 2011, Jack Crabtree of
Lake Jackson, Texas reported seeing a supposed chupacabra in his backyard. He later accepted expert explanations that it was likely a coyote with mange. In September 2013, a family in
Rosario,
Santa Fe Province,
Argentina, presented the body of a small unidentified animal found in
Vera. It was later identified as a naturally
mummified cat. In September 2013, reports in
St. Louis,
Missouri, were attributed to a dog with mange. On 23 February 2014, a Texas couple claimed to have shot and killed a chupacabra; wildlife experts attributed the animal to known mammals affected by mange. On 3 April 2014, another Texas couple claimed to have captured a chupacabra in
Ratcliff, Texas. Benjamin Radford suggested it was likely a raccoon affected by
sarcoptic mange. In 2019 a video recorded by showed the results of a supposed attack on chickens in the Seburuquillo sector of
Lares, Puerto Rico. == Reputed origin ==