Tracking the Goat Sucker

I sorely wanted to remain in bed, but reminded myself of why I came to this sticky Central American rainforest: to find the elusive chupacabra. Bigfoot, the mysterious creature said to roam the North American wilderness, is named after what it leaves behind: big footprints. The chupacabra is also known less for what it is than for what it leaves behind: dead animals. Though goats are said to be its favourite prey (chupacabra means goat sucker in Spanish), the creat­ure has also been blamed for attacks on sheep, cattle, chickens, and other animals. Descriptions of the chupacabra vary widely, but many accounts suggest that the creature is either canid (like a dog or wolf) or stands upright about 4–5ft tall. It has short but powerful legs that allow it to leap fantastic dist­ances, long claws, and terrifying, glowing red eyes. The creature first gained real notoriety in 1995 in Puerto Rico (FT85:9). Many Latin Americans believe it is the unholy creation of secret US government experiments in the Puerto Rican jungles. Chupacabra sightings had a heyday of about five years, when it was widely reported in Mexico, Chile, Spain, Argentina, and Florida, among other places. After that, sightings decreased dramatically. At the 2008 UnConvention, Centre for Fortean Zoo­logy stalwart Jonathan Downes reported that chupacabras have apparently disapp­eared from Puerto Rico – in fact, that there have been no reports from that island since 1998. Where have they gone – if, indeed, they ever existed?...read more

How many goats can a goat sucker suck?