Chupacabra??? Flo resident kills bizarre-looking critter

Chupacabra? What do YOU think? Participate in a poll at our website: www.leoncountytoday.com Photo by Ricky Sklar Ancient Celtic cultures had tales of dragons, Scotland has its Loch Ness Monster, the frozen north has its Abominable Snowman, and the forests of North America have their Big Foot. While it may be a little less well known, the creature of legend in South America is the Chupacabra. Roughly translated "goat sucker", it is believed to be some kind of long-fanged, hairless beast whose victims are supposed to be drained of their blood, rather than eaten. Tales of chupacabra sightings crop up from time to time, and are more common in states that border Mexico. My own introduction to the legendary beastie was earlier this year when my two younger brothers decided to trek through South America on a chupacabra search. The idea was born of a bet between Ben and Joe (aka The Chupacabra Hunters) and their older (and in this case, probably wiser) brother, Dan. Anyway, the adventurers took off in a li'l old Toyota camper, blogging their way south, and I've loosely followed their travels through their website, www. benandjoe.com. Turns out I could've saved the guys a lot of miles. They could have just come to Buffalo.

Indeed, the latest chupacabra sighting may have actually been right here in Leon County last week. Ricky Sklar, who lives with his wife Tammy off 1511 and CR 291 in the Flo area, was welding on a project in his yard in the late afternoon on Wednesday. Taking a break, he sat down on the porch and saw ...something... come out of the woods about 80 yards away, from the direction of a neighboring longhorn cattle ranch. The bizarre-looking animal appeared to be watching the Sklars' squirrel dog, or perhaps eyeing the kittens which were playing in the yard.

Sklar, an avid hunter who is well acquainted with the woods, wasn't sure WHAT he was seeing. "I thought, 'Good Lord!' It scared me 'cos I knew he was real mangy or something." Sklar's squirrel dog showed interest in going out to check out the visitor, so Sklar hastily stepped into the house and grabbed the handiest weapon -- his .22 Magnum rifle -- took aim and fired. "I made a good shot," Ricky shared, "I was 'attaboy n' myself!" The creature ran about 50 yards after Sklar shot him, then dropped. The dog ran after it, but did not go too close.

After the animal fell and Sklar got a closer look, his curiosity was really piqued. "I've hunted all over -- south Texas, east Texas, west Texas -- haven't ever seen nothing like this before. If it WAS just a coyote, Lord knows he needed to be shot ‘n put out of his misery! God-awful looking animal. Didn't have any hair on him, and the head --the snout-- looked weird. It looked longer than a coyote's to me -- it really did." The creature's color was a mottled greyish-blue, and its canine lower incisors were exaggerated in size.

Sklar went back to house for a camera and took a picture. His wife took the photo to the local veterarian's office, where technicians suggested it was a mangy coyote and recommended that the carcass be burned in order to prevent the spread of infection to any other animals. Sklar took that advice, and cut down a tree to make a big fire. Taking the precaution of wearing gloves, he dragged the carcass to the burn pile with a rope, then burned the rope and gloves as well.

A few months ago, Ricky and Tammy Sklar had watched a television program that documented some very strange creatures killed in Alto (near Lufkin) and by a lady in the Hill Country. On the show, the name "chupacabra" had been applied to the animals. Ricky Sklar could not help making the comparison with his strange kill. "They looked just like this. I don't know what it was, but a lot of people are saying that's what it is." Tammy, for one, swears she won't be tramping about the property at night, and will have a pistol on her hip when she IS out.

Sklar would be interested in talking with anyone else who has had a similar "close encounter" -- and we at the Buffalo Press would love to hear about it, too. (And hey -- Ben? Joe? Click your heels together three times, and come on home to Texas, Guys. Everything you're looking for is probably right in your own backyard!)