Posted on 05/02/2005 10:58:08 PM PDT by Beowulf9
A rancher in Elmendorf, southeast of San Antonio, found a strange creature attacking his livestock, and local animal experts say identifying it is a tough call.
Devin Macanally says he has lived on his ranch for 15 years and has never seen anything like it.
"It was eating mulberrys under a tree," he said.
It is a strange dog-looking creature with a blue color that he says began a killing spree. Devin first knew something was up when his chickens started disappearing. At one point, 35 were gone in just one day.
Macanally finally shot and killed the creature, and he was blown away at what he saw.
"First thing that came to my mind, is surely everybody's gonna think this is a chupacabra," he laughed. "But it's so odd because it has no hair."
At the nearby Deleon's Grocery and Market, customers come in to check out pictures of it. One woman says it is exactly how her grandmother described the dreaded chupacabra.
People at the San Antonio Zoo say they have not seen anything like it. Terry DeRosa with the zoo says at a feather-light 20 pounds, he thinks it might be a wild mexican dog.
"It may be one of the hairless dogs that perhaps you see in Mexico," he said.
Devin says he would like to know for sure. He says he is hoping someone can help identify it, possibly by DNA.
The great debate continues over a strange animal shot and killed by a farmer in Elmendorf. A San Antonio hunting guide says he has the answer.
The animal found in Elmendorf has fangs and is somewhat blue in color. It's hairless except for a strip going down its back, so some say it possibly suffered from some kind of mange. Rancher Devin Macanally says the animal had attacked dozens of his chickens.
Some experts believe it's a sort of wild Mexican dog.
But hunting guide E.T. Hughey says he's sure it's a Muntjac (MOONT-jac) deer -- a small antelope-type animal.
He says some South Texas ranchers import them, and turn them loose on their property.
But others have speculated that the "Elmendorf beast" is some kind of canine. Still others believe it's the chupacabra -- an animal of Mexican folklore, said to kill farm animals.
We here at News 4 WOAI have done a little digging around on the world wide web, and have uncovered some interesting facts.
According to the Rolling Hills Zoo in Kansas, "as Muntjacs mature, the upper canine teeth are elongated into 'tusks' that curve outward from the lips." Also, "Muntjac deer are sometimes known as the 'barking deer' because they will emit a barking sound to warn others of predators and to identify individuals." Some interesting canine comparisons.
Concerning the dead chickens at the Elmendorf farm, Muntjac deer are actually herbivores. But remember, Mcanally says he found the creature eating mulberries. And a British web site says the deer are very territorial, using their canine "tusk" teeth on intruders, to inflict "serious injuries... to their flanks, neck and ears." Perceived chicken intruders, perhaps?
But there are some questions to ask about the deer theory. On the web sites we searched, the pictures of Muntjac deer don't indicate a long tail. The pictures from Elmendorf show that creature's tail is quite long, almost rat-like. Also, Muntjacs, just like other deer, have split hoofs. It's hard to tell from the pictures if our strange animal had hooves, or some kind of paw. We haven't gotten a chance to ask Mcanally yet.
Of course all of these are just theories at this point. No one has done any testing on the "Elmendorf beast."
I'm shaving my dogs now just to piss off my neighbors...................
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Ha ha! I have a co-worker who is an ardent Art Bell devotee. I've lost count of the times we've tried to keep a straight face as our totally serious co-worker would go on about what carnage or problems aliens or chupacabras (the absolute most hysterical incident) were doing. It left me wondering exactly how many nuts are out there listening to and believing this stuff?
Looks like you nailed it. That wouldn't be a bullet hole in the side would it:). One of the better ways to take care of a coyote.
Actually, Robert Horry did not almost kill Tim Duncan but he sure did put a stake in the heart of the Denver Nuggets in Satuday's game 3. Those back to back 4th quarters three point shots (his trademark) were killers.
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Boy these are good close ups. Where did you ever get them? I think they are a coyote with mange, but I didn't know mange got this bad.
I think too the whole chupacabra thing must be mangey coyote's.
The mange photo came from a Nebraska hunting forum
http://www.bjacked.net/LuvToHunt/hunt/
http://www.book-of-thoth.com/article900.html
The Tick: "I will name you Speak ... because THAT is what you DO!"
This guy looks almost exactly like the one that was in my backyard, except mine had zero hair. Kind of a smoky gray in color.
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