A Texas couple is convinced they've captured a real-life chupacabra

Newscenter25

A Texas couple is convinced they've captured a real-life chupacabra
(Image credit: Newscenter25)

A husband and wife in southern Texas believe that the hairless animal with big claws that they caught in their yard is the legendary chupacabra. The chupacabra is said to be a grotesque creature that sucks the blood out of goats and cattle, and it's almost certain to cause nightmares if you ever decide to do a Google Image search.

Jackie Stock and Arlen Parma discovered the animal on Sunday; it has dark skin, lots of teeth, and a distinctive growl. Parma is an avid hunter, and says he's never seen — or heard — anything like it.

"A coon doesn't make that noise, or a possum," he told Newscenter25. "What makes that noise? I guess a chupacabra does."

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Brent Ortego, a wildlife diversity biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife — who, to be fair, has only seen photos of the creature — says he believes this chupacabra is a small canine with mange, which is why it has no hair. Whatever it is, it's currently being kept in a cage outside, and being fed corn and cat food. --Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.