Chilean officials have been left stumped by a mysterious bloodsucking creature that killed 50 livestock by perforation their thorax and “sucking them dry”.
The bizarre incidents were reported by farmers who claimed to have lost 50 of their young llamas and alpacas near the village of Colchane in the province of Tamarugal located in the Chilean region of Tarapaca since November last year.
Colchane mayor Javier Garcia Choque hired a veterinarian to study the remains of the animals but later reported that she could not conclude that the deaths were caused by a local predator like a fox or a puma, according to Infobae. (https://bit.ly/3j1KpON)
Mayor Garcia added he contacted the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) who have now started an investigation and will give all the necessary information to officials to help “find this creature”.
The authorities hope to stop any further incidents and ensure that farmers, who have lost millions in Argentine pesos (ARS), suffer no further losses.
Farmers said the mysterious creature only attacks at night and does not leave any footprints behind to help identify or track it, further adding to the mystery.
Local media said some locals fear the killings are being carried out by the mythical creature ‘Chupacabra’ (‘Goat Sucker’) that, according to legend, sucks the blood of different animals but mostly livestock.
Chupacabra became well-known in Latin American countries and parts of the United States after someone first claimed to see it in Puerto Rico in 1995.
Sightings with varying descriptions of the animal have since been reported, however, it is still widely considered to be a supernatural tale.
However, one farmer named Juan Choque Choque said: “My cousins told me it could be the creature called Chupacabra which left a person badly injured in the south years back.
“I got scared so I put solar panel lights on the enclosures to scare the animal away. I want them [authorities] to find it so it stops doing damage.”
Another farmer named Luis Choque said: “It makes a small hole, not on the neck [of the livestock], but on its side. It doesn’t eat its meat or entrails. I have never seen anything like this before. It attacks at night and the animals don’t appear to defend their young.”
The veterinarian who studied the case, named Andrea Nieto, echoed his remarks, saying: “They are not marks left from a local predator like a puma or a fox.
“There are only two perforations at the height of the thorax and nothing more. Apparently, it sucked the animal dry but a more exhaustive investigation has to be done.”
The veterinarian also ruled out predators such as dogs or other animals with large jaws as they would have left the carcasses in a different state.
There have been no further reports on the strange incident as the investigation continues.
Workers checking the dead animals Workers checking the dead animals
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Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency: Newsflash
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