[美洲怪物傳吸血殺人]
(11/10/2006, Apple News)

這個世界真是無奇不有，傳聞除了吸血殭屍，原來還有吸血怪物，這頭怪物名叫Chupacabra（楚柏卡巴拉），活躍於美國南部、波多黎各、智利、墨西哥一帶。楚柏卡巴拉外形古怪，極具危險性，至今科學家仍未研究出楚柏卡巴拉是甚麼樣的生物，民間卻流傳了種種不同的說法，現在我們就近距離接觸這頭兇猛的怪物。
傳說楚柏卡巴拉是一頭吸血怪物，經常襲擊家畜，舌頭有一根尖管，可插入心臟，吸乾動物鮮血為止。據報墨西哥及波多黎各的居民，曾被楚柏卡巴拉襲擊，吸乾血後，慘遭分屍，死狀恐怖，但為免出現恐慌，政府只當普通謀殺案處理，並禁止傳媒報道。
舌頭附有吸管
有目擊者曾見過楚柏卡巴拉，表示這頭怪物，身高約有兩呎，非常矮小，但擁有尖銳牙齒、紅色眼睛，可以像人類般直立行走，亦可輕易跳至六米高，行動迅速，有些人更指楚柏卡巴拉長有翅膀，可以在高空飛翔，隨時進行突襲。
有科學家指出楚柏卡巴拉極有可能是外星人，因為在所有地球物種中，並沒有一種擁有舌頭吸管，並可以把動物的血液吸乾，即使是袋鼠亦不可能跳至六米高，所以楚柏卡巴拉由其他動物進化而成的可能性已被否定，但如果楚柏卡巴拉是有敵意的外星人，為甚麼不發動更大規模的襲擊呢？
走脫生化怪物
另一個說法是楚柏卡巴拉是美國神秘的51區生化研究所的產物，美國51區不斷進行神秘研究，楚柏卡巴拉極可能是意外走脫的生化武器製成品，故此只出現在美國南部及南美洲一帶，亦有說楚柏卡巴拉是環境受污染而衍生的變種怪物，化工廠廢料流入河流，令物種基因發生變化，因而出現了像《韓流怪嚇》中的變種怪物，更有說楚柏卡巴拉是吸血鬼的寵物。近年來，已有不少人曾目睹楚柏卡巴拉的出現，究竟楚柏卡巴拉是甚麼東西呢？科學家到現在也沒有答案。

(from wiki)

The chupacabra (or chupacabras) is a cryptid said to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated particularly with Puerto Rico (where it was first reported), Mexico, Chile, Brazil and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities and Maine. The name translates literally from the Spanish as "goat-sucker". It comes from the creature's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock. Physical descriptions of the creature vary. Sightings began in Puerto Rico in the early 1990s, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile. Though some argue that the chupacabras may be real creatures, mainstream scientists and experts generally contend that the chupacabra is a legendary creature, or a type of urban legend. National Geographic did a report on the existance of Chupacabras. They found a supposed chupacabra skeleton on a local farm ground.


History
The legend of el chupacabra began in about 1992, when Puerto Rican newspapers El Vocero and El Nuevo Dia began reporting the killings of many different types of animals, such as birds, horses, and as its name implies, goats. However, it is predated by El Vampiro de Moca (The Vampire of Moca), a creature blamed for similar killings that occurred in the small town of Moca in the 1970s. While at first it was suspected that the killings were done randomly by some members of a Satanic cult, eventually these killings spread around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. The killings had one pattern in common: Each of the animals found dead had two punctured holes around its neck.

Soon after the animal deaths in Puerto Rico, other animal deaths were reported in other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Brazil, the United States and, most notably, Mexico.

Both in Puerto Rico and Mexico, "el chupacabra" gained urban legend status. Chupacabra stories began to be released several times in American and Hispanic newscasts across the United States, and chupacabra merchandise, such as T-shirts and baseball caps, were sold.

The chupacabra is generally treated as a product of mass hysteria, though the animal mutilations are sometimes real. Like many cases of such mutilations, however, it has been argued that they are often not as mysterious as they might first appear, and in fact, a series of tests showcased by the National Geographic Channel in a show about the chupacabra pointed to the obvious conclusion that every single "animal mutilation" can be explained by either people killing them or, more likely, other animals eating them. The loss of blood may be explained by insects drinking it.

I enjoyed reading your post about this creature. I guess I should keep my eyes open for it.....

I hope that you both continue to write interesting articles and share them with us from time to time.

EastCoast

You have my word, pal. :D : )

I too saw the documentary on TV, it was long ago, and I forgot what the conclusion was at that time.

I would put this one in the same class as "Big Foot".

"Great" minds do think alike! Hahaha!!