The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has solved the mystery of the strange hairless animal killed by a Nelson County farmer two weeks ago.
It's not a mythical chupacabra, or a coyote with mange. The biologists at the department said it is a hairless raccoon.
Farmer Mark Cothern of Nelson County happened to see the unusual dog-like animal from his porch on Dec. 18 and decided to shoot it for a closer examination. He kept the dead animal in a freezer until he turned it over to wildlife officials.
• Photos: Chupacabra?
Wildlife department biologists are still interested in studying the animal further because this kind of hairless animal is becoming more common in Kentucky, according to a report on Louisville television station WLKY.
Scientists have taken samples from the Nelson County animal to send for further study at an outside laboratory.
Biologists said the animal has a skin disorder causing it to have no hair.
The chupacabra - the word means "goat sucker" in Spanish - is an animal that most scientists regard as an urban legend. The creatures, which supposedly inhabit areas of Mexico and Puerto Rico, attack livestock and drink their blood.
Previous animals claimed to be chupacabras have turned out to be coyotes with mange.
It's not a mythical chupacabra, or a coyote with mange. The biologists at the department said it is a hairless raccoon.
Farmer Mark Cothern of Nelson County happened to see the unusual dog-like animal from his porch on Dec. 18 and decided to shoot it for a closer examination. He kept the dead animal in a freezer until he turned it over to wildlife officials.
• Photos: Chupacabra?
Wildlife department biologists are still interested in studying the animal further because this kind of hairless animal is becoming more common in Kentucky, according to a report on Louisville television station WLKY.
Scientists have taken samples from the Nelson County animal to send for further study at an outside laboratory.
Biologists said the animal has a skin disorder causing it to have no hair.
The chupacabra - the word means "goat sucker" in Spanish - is an animal that most scientists regard as an urban legend. The creatures, which supposedly inhabit areas of Mexico and Puerto Rico, attack livestock and drink their blood.
Previous animals claimed to be chupacabras have turned out to be coyotes with mange.
Comment