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Strange MagazineMystery Creature Causes Havoc in Puerto Rico
By Scott Corrales, STRANGEmagazineWEB
The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has been galvanized by numerous sightings of a strange, livestock-killing creature which has been dubbed "el Chupacabras" (The Goatsucker) as a result of its penchant for sucking the blood out of goats, chickens, and household pets. The creature has been sighted throughout the island by credible witnesses who have much to lose by stepping forward with their testimony. This bewildering story has been covered by a number of stateside newspapers and has become a major news item for Puerto Rico's media. The enigmatic creature can best be described as a cross between one of the"Grey" aliens and a terrestrial animal such as a porcupine or a kangaroo due to the presence of quill-like appendages running down its back and enormously powerful hind legs which enable it to leap over trees in a single bound. First reported in the municipality of Canóvanas, this entity (or many similar to it - an even more sobering thought) has been reported in all the communities which comprise metropolitan San Juan. The creature's habits are both diurnal and nocturnal; one daylight sighting had it walking down a street, to the amazement of onlookers. One eyewitness, Lucy Batista, interviewed by Jorge Martín, stated that other animals seemingly "go crazy" or become panicked when the creature is around. The entity has reportedly landed on trees and bent them due to its apparently considerable weight.
The authorities have remained silent on the entire matter, while the local press has made light of it, dubbing the intruder el chupacabras (the "goat sucker" or "goat vampire"). Researcher Martín has admonished both his readers and the listeners of his radio program that while such jocular names may prompt a smile, there is nothing humorous about the situation. At this time, the reports on this latest escapee from the "phantom menagerie" were multiplying: the creature has been seen as far as the opposite end of the island from where these cases first appeared. A local security guard agency complained of its inability to staff the third shift of a manufacturing complex on the island because the guards were terrified to work in the darkness for fear of the creatures. Allegedly, the strange entity is now being reported in twos and threes.
José Soto, the mayor of Canóvanas, the community in which events first started to occur, organized a "monster hunt" staffed by elements of the Civil Defense, the police, and municipal workers. A large cage made out of welded iron garden fencing was brought along in hopes of trapping the unwanted visitor. Political opponents have taken him to task on this matter, but the mayor's constituency appeared to support this decisive course of action by an elected official. Carlos de Jesús, manager of a local junkyard where the "Chupacabras" had been sighted, stated emphatically: "The Chupacabras situation is not a joke, and the authorities ought to pay more attention to this strange situation. Right now it's only farm animals [being slain]. Tomorrow it could easily be one's children or grandchildren." Matters have since worsened: bogus "UFO research groups" have sprung into existence, preaching the gospel of a purported secret government document which states that the wave of unusual creatures is in fact extraterrestrial in nature and "the source of the AIDS epidemic." These sensationalist fearmongers have gone as far as saying that the sudden emergence of these hitherto unknown beings heralds humanity's doom, since their vampiric powers will be used to slay humans en masse, leaving the Earth free for colonization by aliens. Adding insult to injury, film crews from the Inside Edition tabloid TV program visited the island, mocking witnesses and the public officials who are actively in pursuit of these creatures. Activities of this nature can only be injurious to the sensitive work being carried out by earnest investigators.
