The Island Monster

You’ve probably heard of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Jersey Devil. They are all cryptids, monsters that may or may not really exist and whose existence can’t be proved or disproved. Puerto Rico has its very own native cryptid, El Chupacabra, which reportedly was fi rst seen there and since may have been sighted all over the world.

- Marcia Amidon Lusted

Just what is El Chupacabra? One hint comes from its name, which combines two Spanish words: chupar, meaning “to suck,” and cabra meaning “goat.” El Chupacabra was first reported seen in Puerto Rico in 1995, when during March and April of that year about 150 farm animals were found dead, drained of blood and with puncture marks on their necks, but not eaten. A farmer reported being attacked from behind by a gorilla-like creature that badly scratched his body. Hundreds of cows, sheep, goats, and chickens were killed all over the island. A posse of volunteers hunted for the creature every day for a year, but never found it. A witness claimed that a chupacabra broke into the bedroom of a house through a window, tore apart a stuffed teddy bear, and left, leaving behind a puddle of slime and a chunk of rancid meat on the windowsill. Another witness reported seeing a creature with a “reptilian body, oval head, bulging red eyes, fanged teeth and a long, darting tongue.” It was said to have leathery greenish-grey skin and a series of spikes running down its back. It had glowing red eyes, was three