The mystery monster known as the Chupacabra, or “goat-sucker,” has been a staple of urban legend throughout the Americas for decades, and the stories of its alleged existence have inspired campfire tales, books, songs, movies, Halloween costumes and more, placing it alongside fellow cryptids Sasquatch, the Mothman and the Jersey Devil. Just like those creatures, the Chupacabra has managed to elude scientific proof, but wildlife expert Dr. Phyliss Canyon claims to have found the real deal.
Since 2005, Canyon had been unable to find the mysterious predator behind the mass killings of chickens on her ranch in the East Texas town of Cuero. All she knew was that the beast was unlike anything she had encountered before: it was systematically tearing the birds' throats open and sucking their blood. Finally, in 2008, police patrolling the area caught footage of a strange doglike creature running along a dirt road.
Canyon has a preserved specimen of the so-called “Texas Blue Dog,” which has thick, almost hairless skin, large fangs and bright blue eyes. DNA analysis suggests it may be a previously undiscovered wolf-coyote hybrid.
These images come from a recent episode of Science Channel's The Unexplained Files, and here's an excerpt from that episode featuring police footage of the creature on the move: