The section about the Chupacabra in Chapter 10 was most appealing since I remember learning about this story during middle school. This creature seemed like a good excuse for those animals and farm animals that turned up brutally killed.
The story of the Chupacabra started in Puerto Rico, the creature has been described with many different forms, through various claims. The creature is said to look like a reptilian creature from some accounts, while other descriptions are circulating, this is the most common.
The first animals slain by this creature were goats, hence the name, goat sucker. The claims say that the creature, not only kills pets and fam animals, but also drains the blood and eviscerates the bodies as well. Those bodies left behind by the creature were thought to be attacked by mentally ill, violent humans; snakes and/or vampire bats. The Chupacabra had also caused physical and mental harm to those villagers who were extremely effected by the deaths and killings of this creature.
I think a more likely scenario for the reason this legend was started and survived can be answered simply. The animals and pets being killed are most likely 'victims' of wild dogs and/or animals. In response, the scared villagers came up with this story, based on old legends and folklore of vampires and other mythical creatures.
While writing this post I found an interesting video, that shows an 'actual' carcass of the creature known as the Chupacabra. I personally do not see how anyone could mistake the carcass offered by the video to be the Chupacabra, but it is up for discussion. I think this story just adds to the legends' legacy.
Lawson. T. (2007). Scientific perspectives on pseudoscience and the paranormal: Readings for general psychology. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Eduacation, Inc.
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2151-el-chupacabra
*Click on the link, or title of my post to see the video*
http://youtu.be/jwTGcGTLAqA
Monday, July 11, 2011
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Several relatively recent news reports suggest that the source of the chupacabra myth has been found. Apparently there have been several cases of coyotes that have a severe parasite that causes them to loose their hair, their skin to thicken and to exhume a rank odor. This would cause them to be mistaken as the chupacabra. Here are a few links to sites concerning the true identity of the chupacabra.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.livescience.com/13356-el-chupacabra-mystery-solved.html
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-09-03/us/animal.mystery.chupacabra_1_chupacabra-coyote-creature?_s=PM:US