How deep does the story of Chupacabra go?

The Chupacabra, which translates to ‘goat sucker’ in English, is rumored to attack and drink the blood of livestock. As said in the name, it is popularly associated with drinking the blood of goats.

Physical depictions of the Chupacabra differ between region. In Puerto Rico and Hispanic America, the Chupacabra is generally described as a heavy creature, reptilian and alien-like, about the size of a small bear, and with a row of spines reaching from its neck to the base of its tail. In Southwestern United States it is depicted as more dog-like.

The first sighting started in Puerto Rico, 1975, when a series of livestock killings occurred. It was chalked up to a satanic cult. But, when multiple farms started reporting more deaths, it was noticed that a small, circular incision had lead to the livestock being bled dry.

Reports of blood-sucking by the Chupacabra were never confirmed by an autopsy, the one way to conclude that the animal was drained of its blood. A Puerto Rican veterinarian analyzed 300 reported victims of the Chupacabra, and found that the victims were not bled dry.