Monday, August 7, 2006

New: Photos of a “Chupacabra” from Chuck in McLean, Virginia

Someone visiting my site sent this:
"Hi. My name is Chuck. I ran across your web post while researching chupacabras. I've attached some photos of what I believe to be a chupacabra that was in my yard about a month ago. I live in McLean, Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. It looks allot like the animal you have posted. I'd really appreciate hearing back from you. Thanks!"

I sent the photos to some experts at my local University asking if they think this is a Coyote with mange or some other animal. I'll let you know. What a trip to see this in your back yard:
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For more on this topic, read my Chupacabra article which describes multiple eyewitness sightings (of probably a very different creature) in California.

UPDATE 11:00AM, 8/7/06: A University of California professor of Wildlife Ecology has now seen the pictures and I'm awaiting a reply. Also, Chuck responded to my request for more details:
... I live in Mclean VA on Georgetown Pike in a pretty wooded area 1.2 miles west of the Capital Beltway (495). The Potomac River is about 7 tenths of a mile from my house. P1010028.jpg I see a lot of deer and an occasional raccoon or fox. About six weeks ago (about mid afternoon) I looked out the window and saw this animal lying in the yard. The first two pictures were taken from inside the house out the window. Then I went outside to get more pictures of it. You can see that there is a deer in the first few shots as well. As I came around the house, the animal saw me as I continued to take pictures.

At this point I thought it looked like a dog. As I got closer it got up and started trotting away, it wasn't running very fast. As it went out of site, I ran around to the other side of the house to catch it coming around the back yard which is where I got the good shot if it from the side. I was probably about 20 feet away from it as it went by, it didn't look at me as it went by and it was just sort of trotting, not running real fast.

I thought its back legs seemed oddly shaped and seemed to kick up high behind it as it trotted. I've attached a few more pictures I don't believe I sent previously, before he got up and started trotting away. That would be great if you could try to identify it, and if you do, please let me know! Meanwhile, I'll keep my camera ready in case it decides to return! Let me know if I can provide any more information.

Thanks again!
Chuck

PS. ... it seemed to have in injured back leg and was sort of limping. It definitely didn't look like a healthy animal.

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UPDATE: 7:30 PM, 8/7/06: The professor I emailed let me know that an animal like this was actually captured. He says, "If this ( http://www.local6.com/news/3604803/detail.html ) is your animal, then it's a red fox with mange."

15 comments:

kerdalst said...

poor doggy, they need to get him/her to a vet.
mange, are contagious.

will said...

it looks like a hairless canid with mange or some sort of disiese

ellie said...

i don't think thats what a chupacabra looks like. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing but it does look like a dog with mange.

kelli said...

I live in the heart of McLean and saw what looked to be the same animal only maybe an adult, I was driving up my street saw it trot across the street. It was large about 40 pounds, had very little hair, only I did notice it having a white tip on the end of it's tail. It entered a sewer tunnel, I parked my car got out and walked over to the drain to see if I could catch another glimpse. It poked it's head and shoulders out, saw me and went back in. It had really large ears and a snout like a dog. So crazy, had to be a coyote!

connie roberts said...

we live in mccreary county ,kentucky. our friend sent a picture of an animal,that was dead in a tree,that looks alot your,animal. this was 12-10-08. i have 2 pics on my cell. i don't have e-mail on my cell.

Xeno said...

Can you send pictures, Connie? If so, see if you have an option to send a picture to an email address. If you can, you could upload the photo to this blog (see the top bar for directions on how do to that and the address.)

Brittany said...

okay so lastnight it was at like 1:30 so i guess it was this mornign but animal planet has a show called Lost Tapes & one was on the Chupacabra & how it killed this little girl's mother & father then they were all on a hike on the border of Arizonia, but the little girl surrivived b/c she hid in a bush. but the border partoll found her. & the way you kno if its a Chupacabra attack is the victem will have a mark like this
• •

or a mark with three wholes\cuts that make a triangle & they suck ALL the blood out of you !!!!


also i was watching animal planet & i think what i was watching was Weird, Ture & Freaky or it was Wild Rescues but it had sopmething about the Chupacabra. so watch animal planet to lewar some more !!!

Kari said...

I'm just in high school but in middle school I did a report over a creature that is called a Thylacine or aka Tazmanian Tiger. Once i saw this picture it resembles that creature so much, except for the loss of hair. But the Thylacine had a chest & head that looked like a dog, hind legs like a kangaroo, & down its back it had black strips. The only problem is that Tazmanian Tigers were dubbed exstinct in 1936 after the last known captive Thylacine had died. I've become fasinated with this creature ever since I did the report over it. And I've always thought that there might still be some unknown Tazmanian Tigers still out there!

yungjie said...

Thats a not eating deer right?

Shyann said...

Wow, I think i have been chased by one, me and about seven friends, i have never felt such a dark, mercilous, evil feeling chill, if it was the chupacabra that i and my friends where chased by, i can see how i felt such chills. Btw, i know this dont have nutin to do with chups, but if you ever read warriors the book or want to role play it, go to www.freewebs.com/goldenfur !

Shyann said...

I have all the info on chupacabras too, so if you want to know bout it, just ask!

Xeno said...

Hi Shyann,
Great! Please tell us all of the info on chupacabras that you know. I suspect there are actually at least three different animals known by the name Chupacabra. The ones we have seen on the news are coyotes and foxes with mange, but there also seems to be some other creature with spines on its back and also one with wings according to the people I've interviewed.

Xeno

Km said...

It looks sort of like a puppy, with mange. It could be a fox...or even a young coyote...I don't think this is a chupacabra.

Km said...

I Didn't notice the first image...It's tail is rather long, and, I had a similar situation to Kelli's...

Animal Control said...

I am an Animal Control Officer. Go to any inner city trailer park or project area and you can find packs of "chupacabras" or if you want to get technical, dogs will severe sarcoptic mange which is highly contagious and makes the hair fall out, the skin flake off and harden, and smells like fritos. That last pic of the glowing eyes is ridiculus too. It is not even photoshopped, it is microsoft paint'ed.