1995 was a bad year to be a goat in Puerto Rico. A spate of gruesome attacks left dozens of animals dead. In each case, their necks had been torn open and their bodies mysteriously drained of blood. Locals immediately blamed El Chupacabras – 'the goatsucker'. Descriptions of the animal were sketchy, but eyewitness accounts pointed towards an improbable mix of kangaroo, lizard, bat and comic-book alien.

In March 1996 the mysterious beast was featured on a national US TV show, based in Miami. Days later, reports were coming in of a fresh El Chupacabras atrocity in Sweetwater, a predominantly Hispanic neighbourhood in the south of the city. How El Chupacabras got to the mainland US is unclear. But in one night alone it was blamed for killing 69 animals. The victims included ducks, geese and chickens, as well as goats. Evidently, El Chupacabras wasn't too fussy about its food, but it sure was greedy.

From Florida, El Chupacabras spread its wings even further, causing carnage in Arizona, Texas, and Mexico. In many cases, evidence left at the scene of the crime was consistent with attacks by dogs. But El Chupacabras is a stubborn old myth that doesn't die down that easily.

In April 2000 it was up and running again, this time in Calama, a mining town in northern Chile. Farmers woke up one morning to find their livestock had been decimated. Common sense blamed the puma, or any number of smaller predators that inhabited the wilderness bordering the town. But common sense can't hold a candle to El Chupacabras. Seasoned observers suspected Nasa involvement, even suggesting that El Chupacabras was some kind of eccentric field trial in genetic engineering. Though the Chilean government concluded that wild dogs were responsible for the attacks, it didn't stop the rumours. Three El Chupacabras eggs had been discovered in the desert ...

Top of page