EVEN IF ITS A RARE ANIMAL, WHY DID HE HAD TO KILL IT? Homeowner thinks animal he shot dead is mythical creature

EVEN IF ITS A RARE ANIMAL, WHY DID HE HAD TO KILL IT?


With its blue hairless body, rounded ears and scarily sharp teeth, this strange creature has been creating quite a stir.

Shot dead by a Mississippi homeowner, it has re-opened the debate as to the very existence of the mythical chupacabra - which is said to hunt livestock by sucking the blood out of animals.

Truitt Barnard, who gunned the beast down in his Simpson County garden after spying it from 130 yards, said: 'Strangest animal I've ever seen. I've been hunting 50 years.

Strange: Is this the mythical chupacabra or just an emaciated dog? Truitt Barnard gunned the beast down in his Simpson County garden after spying it from 130 yards

Identical: Truitt Barnard said the beast's 3/4 inch long double canines were the same as those seen by others on the mythical chupacabra

'It had a long face, no hair, red rough hide, his ears were rounded, and had double canines which were 3/4 inch long.'

He added: 'I saw the ones [that are said to be chupacabras] in Texas that look identical to it, the pictures are identical to it with the rounded ears and all of it.'

Dubbed the 'Bigfoot of Latin culture', the chupacabras - which means goat sucker in Spanish - have been reportedly seen since 1995.

Popular legend uses the phrase to describe unknown animals that attack livestock, usually goats, and allegedly drink the animal's blood.

Astonished: Truitt Barnard (pictured) said that it was the strangest animal he had ever seen in 50 years of hunting

Descriptions of them vary from reptilian with spikes or quills on its back to hairless dogs with fangs and claws.

But Jackson vet Troy Majure said Mr Barnard's unusual find was probably not the mythical animal.

He said: 'All the cases I know it would be a type of canine, whether it's a fox coyote dog.'

He revealed it also could be a hybrid of the animals, and said: 'This one looks like it's pretty emaciated as well, when I say emaciated it looks like it could use a good meal.

'Chronic mange will actually cause blue in color and give the appearance that you see with the so called Chupacabra.'

Doubtful: But vet Troy Majure said he thought the animal was not a chupacabra and was more likely to be a dog (pictured)

The first alleged sighting of the beast was in Puerto Rico, but reports have been made from as far north as Maine, U.S., to the south of Chile.

Scientists last year speculated that the creatures could be coyotes infected by parasites after one animal was discovered in July following a fatal attack on livestock.

In 1995, eight sheep were found dead in Puerto Rico with near identical puncture wounds to the chest and completely drained of blood which spawned the legend of the chupacabra in Latin America.

Months later, the creature was allegedly spotted in Canóvanas, where as many as 150 animals had been killed.

Since then there have been attacks allegedly carried about the legendary creature across South and Central America, and even into New Mexico and Texas.