Is There a Chupacabra on the Loose in Huntsville, Alabama? Mysterious Photo Has People Talking!

In late June, a photo shared online caught the attention of a lot of cryptid fans in north Alabama. The photo was taken just outside Huntsville and showed a very strange-looking animal standing on the roadside. Several people speculated that the Rocket City might have a Chupacabra on the loose! Do you think this could be true? Before you hide the chickens and livestock, let's see what we can find out about this mystery animal. Keep reading; the actual photo appears later in the article!

Chupacabra image over Huntsville outdoor muralPhoto byCollage by A. Killian

Origin of the Chupacabra

Chupacabra is Spanish for "goat-sucker." The legend of the Chupacabra originated in Puerto Rico following a mysterious rash of goat and chicken deaths that began in the 1970s. The deaths were supposedly caused by the blood being drained from the animals bodies. In 1995, a local woman claimed that she saw a bizarre alien-looking creature that she believed was responsible for the animal deaths. Her story, along with a sketch of the animal she saw, was published around the world. Since then, the Chupacabra has become one of the most popular legends of modern times. Speculations of what the animal might be, if it really exists, have ranged from an escaped government lab mutant to a lost alien species.

Chupacabra: original 1995 sketch from witness descriptionPhoto byShared from The Skeptics Library via National Audubon Society

The Huntsville Photo

The "Rocket City Chupacabra" was photographed in the vicinity of Moore's Mill Road near the North Alabama Railroad Museum. As you can see in the actual photo below, it's a bizarre looking animal!

Mystery animal in Huntsville, Al.Photo byShared by Morgan Sharp to Facebook

Mystery Solved

So, what exactly was captured in the photo? For all the cryptid and conspiracy fans out there, I'm sorry if this disappoints you, but the animal in the photo is not an alien blood sucker. As far as we can tell, it's not a rogue lab experiment that escaped from Redstone Arsenal, either. The truth is much more mundane and sad. We showed the photo to two veterinarians and one retired biologist, and they all agreed that the animal in the photo is very common in Alabama. It's a coyote or feral dog with a severe case of mange and malnourishment.

Mange and Mistaken Identity

Mange is caused by tiny parasitic mites that burrow into the skin and cause horrible itching. Hair follicle damage, along with constant scratching, can eventually cause hair loss over an animal's entire body. When that happens, the hairless animal can look very bizarre. Mange in wildlife has caused a lot of misidentification. About ten years ago, the same scenario played out in Sheffield, Alabama. When a stray dog with a bad case of mange was spotted at Riverfront Park, rumors that Sheffield had a resident chupacabra began circulating all over the Shoals area. The poor puppy was eventually caught and treated by the Colbert County Animal Shelter. The photo below shows a black bear in Missouri with a bad case of mange. Once again, when the photo was shared online, a lot of people immediately exclaimed, "It's a Chupacabra!"

Bear with mange in MissouriPhoto byJeff Hardie (originally shared on Facebook)

How to Help Wildlife With Mange

The mites that cause mange can be easily transmitted to other animals. If one coyote is spotted with mange, it is very likely that more will appear with mange in the same general location. The mites can also be transmitted to humans and pets. Animals in the wild with mange can suffer tremendously. They can die from exposure to the elements, and many develop fatal infections in their skin. Mange is easily treated in domestic animals but much more difficult in wildlife. Research is currently underway for effective ways to treat and prevent mange in the wild. If you see a wild animal with mange in Alabama, contact your local shelter or the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and they may be able to help. You can also contact any local wildlife rescue organization.

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