An eyewitness drawing of a chupacabra from Puerto Rico, 1995. Pic credit: via Wikimedia/Public Domain
A group of Brazilian men hunting wild boars claimed they shot and killed a chupacabra in the forest.
Footage published online allegedly shows the decomposing corpse of the legendary cryptid killed in a forested area in Guia Lopes da Laguna, a municipality in the southwestern Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
The hunters reportedly killed the mythical creature following reports about a mystery creature roaming the countryside, killing livestock and terrorizing villagers.
Latin American folklore claims that the chupacabra is a cryptid that kills livestock (goats and cattle) by sucking their blood.
The word chupacabra means “goat sucker.”
Video allegedly shows a chupacabra
A group of men reportedly encountered a strange-looking humanoid creature while hunting wild boars in the Brazilian jungle. The creature attempted to escape, but the men chased it. Their dogs caught up with it and attacked.
While the creature struggled with the dogs, the men shot it.
The hunters knew no one would believe them if they returned without evidence. So, they filmed the dead creature in the forest.
The footage shows the corpse of a medium-sized monkey-like creature with sharp-looking teeth, a humanoid face, and hands.
Skeptics suggested it was a monkey
However, some viewers said that the alleged dead creature resembled a monkey.
Skeptic insisted that the face, fingers, and body proportions suggested it was likely a howler monkey, the Daily Star reported. Others noted that the partially decomposed body suggested the animal was dead for a few days.
Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) include multiple related species native to the forests of South and Central America. They are known for their loud howling call.
Their jungle habitats are under threat due to human encroachment.
Do chupacabras exist?
The chupacabra legend is widespread in North and South America, from the southwestern US and Mexico to Chile and Argentina.
However, skeptics argued that despite claimed sightings, no one has provided convincing evidence that they exist.
Folklore described it as a reptilian creature with a tail and a row of spines on its back. Some claim it is humanoid, but reports from the southwestern US suggest it resembles a dog.
The name and description of the creature originated following reported incidents in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s. However, reports of a mysterious vampiric animal attacking livestock started in the 1970s.
Skeptics suggested that the dog-like description of the chupacabra in the southwestern US suggested it could be a stray canid with mange attacking livestock.