Chupacabra, Dog or Fox? Mystery Animal Found in Maryland

Published August 17, 2011

Fox with cub: Getty

Maryland's chupacabra could be a hairless fox.

A mystery animal—dubbed chupacabra after a legendary, blood-sucking creature said to inhabit Mexico, Puerto Rico and some parts of the United States—was trapped last week by workers at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland.

Described as a cross between a kangaroo, a rat, and a dog, this "chupacabra," was first spotted by hospital employees taking a cigarette break near a wooded area, according to NBC news.

Curious about the shy, hairless creature, the workers lured the "chupacabra" into a cage with leftover Chinese food.

The legend of the chupacabra is fairly recent. It started in 1995 after eight sheep were discovered dead in Puerto Rico, each with three puncture wounds and completely drained of blood.

Since then, chupacabra stories have been plentiful and varied.

So is the little animal at Prince George Hospital a bloodsucker? Probably not. NBC's Benjamin Radford, author of "Tracking the Chupacabra," suspects the creature, nicknamed Prince Chupa, is a fox—missing his fur due to mange.

Let's hope he's right, since hospital workers set Prince Chupa free soon after shooting this video.

Wendy Toth Wendy Toth is Senior Editor, Lifestyle for Digital Works @ NBCU. She lives in Brooklyn, has two…

Filed Under: Dog & Cat Breeds, Photos & Videos, News & Blogs, Cute Animals, Dog Breeds, News
Tags: Dogs, cute animal video, cute animals, dog breeds, weird animal news

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