MYSTERY ANIMAL – Could this be a corpse of the legendary chupacabra? Deemed a hairless raccoon by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist in January 2010, the creature was discovered at hole No. 14 at the Runaway Bay golf course. Messenger photo by Joe Duty
In May 2010, Runaway Bay officials named the chupacabra the city’s official mascot four months after the rumored creature was discovered on hole No. 14 at The Club at Runaway Bay.
The body was tan, earth-colored and hairless with oversized canines and a squished face like a vampire bat. It had long and slender padded feet with nearly inch-long toes, almost like fingers, tapered with sharp, curved claws, like a raccoon. The creature’s hind legs appeared elongated and large, like a kangaroo’s. It was approximately 16 inches in length with a possum-like tail.
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist has since labeled the mysterious creature a hairless raccoon.
The discovery by a course groundskeeper in January brought media attention to the city from news outlets around the country and world and prompted the creation of T-shirts, stickers and other merchandise featuring the animal.
Chupacabra is Spanish for “goat sucker.” The creature is infamous for sucking the blood from livestock. There have been many sightings of the mysterious creature throughout Texas during the past few years. The legend was first reported in Puerto Rico in the mid-1990s and has since spread throughout Latino communities.
