The Chupacabra Caught?

Summary

September 2, 2009: The mythical Chupacabra has allegedly been found - a dead specimen has been discovered near Blanco, Texas. It was discovered by one of the students at a taxidermy school, who had placed poison to catch an animal that had gotten into the farm of a family member. The creature looks like a large and extremely ugly dog or coyote with abnormally long legs and teeth.

Source

Bibliography

1. CNN video

2. Original article

3. Arcana Wiki Map entry

Game and Story Use

• How dangerous is it to humans?
• Is it really a flesh-and-blood animal, or something supernatural?
  • If it's the latter, what was the poison that killed it - and is it really dead, or does it just appear dead and can reanimate later?
• What would a collector or other interested party pay for this specimen?
  • And how much more for a live one?
• This is not the first dog-like chupacabra to be found dead in Texas. See also Texas Woman Claims to Have Found Mythical 'Chupacabra', from two years and a day ago. Various Conspiracy Theories might be involved.
  • Perhaps it's just a new (sub)species of wild dog, and people are calling it chupacabra for some sinister and dishonest reason?
    • A hoax, effectively? Just trying to make money and get attention?
    • To cover for the fact that some sicko is out there torturing and killing dogs?
      • To ease their own conscience after having poisoned a dog?
    • To hide the real chupacabra, and make us all think it's just a dog (and thus nothing to worry about)? This is the Masquerade in action.
  • Perhaps it is chupacabra, and there's more to their deaths than just roadkill and ratpoison?
    • A dedicated campaign to kill the creatures, a secret war or government conspiracy that's twice screwed up and lost containment of the carcasses?
      • The PCs might stumble along to the site where the 3rd one is killed - or interrupt the hunt so the thing gets away.
      • MiBs are sure to show up a few days later and ask lots of questions.
• Keep in mind that the creature was found by a taxidermy student. Not that taxidermists are necessarily dishonest, but see Hodag, Jackalope and Feegee Mermaid.
• It's just under a year later, and two more of these critters have been killed in Texas: See Chupacabra Sighting Times Two for more information.