Anomaly Ledger

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Chupacabra

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Painted illustration: small spiny gray upright creature with large dark eyes near a goat pen on a Caribbean night
AI rendition based on witness descriptions, not an actual photo.
A mangy coyote, the leading explanation for chupacabra sightings
A mangy coyote, the leading explanation for chupacabra sightings · nature80020 · CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source · License

A creature blamed for livestock deaths, first described in Puerto Rico in 1995 as spiny and upright, later as hairless dog-like animals in the US.

Explained Verdict: Explained as mange-stricken canids plus a 1995 folklore wave.

Region
North America · Latin America & Caribbean · Puerto Rico
First reports
1995 (Puerto Rico)

Key sightings

Best evidence

Carcasses examined in the US were dogs or coyotes with severe mange.

Ledger cases

Sources