Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore

by Benjamin Radford

Combining five years of careful investigation (including information from eyewitness accounts, field research, and forensic analysis) with a close study of the creature's cultural and folkloric significance, Radford's book is the first to fully explore and try to solve the decades-old mystery of the chupacabra.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cryptozoology, Folklore, Mythology, Science, Paranormal, Cryptids

216 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2011

About the author

Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and a Research Fellow with the non-profit educational organization the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He has written thousands of articles on a wide variety of topics, including urban legends, the paranormal, critical thinking, and media literacy. He is author of nine books: Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (with sociologist Robert E. Bartholomew); Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us, examining the ways in which deception is used in various media to influence decision making and public policy; Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World’s Most Elusive Creatures (with Joe Nickell), a scientific examination of lake monsters around the world; Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries; and Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore; The Martians Have Landed! A History of Media-Driven Panics and Hoaxes (with Bob Bartholomew); Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment (Winner of the 2015 Southwest Book Award); and Bad Clowns, as well as a novel titled The Merchant of Dust. His newest book is "Investigating Ghosts: The Scientific Search for Spirits." It is the first book to examine the history, culture, methods, and folklore of ghost investigation, from Victorian-era Spiritualists to modern-day TV ghost hunters.

Radford has an undergraduate degree in psychology and a graduate degree in education. He is a regular columnist for LiveScience.com, Discovery News, Skeptical Inquirer magazine, and the Skeptical Briefs newsletter. Radford regularly speaks at universities, colleges, and conferences across the country and has appeared on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the Learning Channel, CBC, BBC, CNN, and other networks with three letters. He also served as a consultant for the MTV series The Big Urban Myth Show and an episode of the CBS crime drama CSI.

Reviews

[Clayton Morris]

Excellent piece of journalism that answers one of the great modern day paranormal mysteries. Case closed.

[Robin]

I mean, it's like he didn't even want to find a chupacabra :)

Solid research in a topic that I knew almost nothing about. I learned a lot and enjoyed the read.

[Evan K]

Very good.

[Tokoro]

3.5 There are some annoying repetitions concerning witnesses and sources mistakenly identifying their attacked animals as being drained of blood when they weren't medically knowledgable enough to properly tell, neglected to check, or assumed it because of little or no blood found around or on the animal's body. besides that it was informative on localized culture, fears and anthropology, psychology, inference, zoology, biology, seeking out veterinary corroboration or explanation on genetics, the difference between mangy dogs and coyote and the goat-sucker, &c., and the phenomenon of media exposure which subconsciously puts ideas in the mind which are appealed to when unexplained occurrences are reported in close proximity to it. Quotes, identifications, fallacies selected from the text may soon follow.

[Simon]

Nonfiction book investigating the origins of the Chupacabra, a creature blamed for livestock mutilations and stranger things (the name means "goatsucker" in Spanish) originating in the folklore of Puerto Rico in the 1990's before then spreading to other Hispanophone countries. Also goes through how vampire folklore varies across countries but with certain constants, with the point being that the Chupacabra fits the same patterns that can be found in vampire stories from other cultures. (not surprisingly in Africa and Latin America vampires are often associated with whatever European nationality happened to colonise the respective country)

The most important thing about "Tracking the Chupacabra" is that author Benjamin Radford proves quite conclusively that the archetypical form of the Chupacabra, a green-skinned or grey-skinned humanoid with glowing red almond-shaped eyes and spines running down its back (which cryptozoologist Jonathan Downes described as "Sonic the Hedgehog on acid") is a near perfect match for the final form taken by Sil, a genetically engineered extraterrestrial-human hybrid central character in the 1995 science-fiction film "Species". (portrayed in human form by Michelle Williams as a child and Natasha Henstridge as an adult, in alien form by stuntwoman Dana Hee) Not only was "Species" extremely popular in Puerto Rico since the Arecibo telescope played an important role in the plot, but the initial witness to the first Chupacabra sighting, Madelyne Tolentino, had seen "Species" in the cinema shortly before her sighting and in fact when interviewed kept comparing the creature's appearance to Sil! The conspiracy theories in Puerto Rico about the Chupacabra being the result of secret genetic experiments on US military bases there, are also taken straight from the plot of "Species".

All this is now common knowledge within cryptozoology, but wasn't widely noticed until Benjamin Radford wrote this book in 2010. This parallel even eluded those cryptozoologists who were skeptical towards Chupacabra stories long before. For example Karl Shuker who never found the reports convincing in the first place; or Jonathan Downes, who after 2 successive expeditions to Puerto Rico concluded in his 2008 book "The Island of Paradise" that the Chupacabra lore probably came from a result of misidentifying known animals like mongooses and porcupines, with most of the livestock mutilations and damage to crops blamed on Chupacabras being readily attributable to those. (both Shuker and Downes' books are cited extensively throughout this one)

Something else I found damning was that Radford brings up how the Sil-lookalike Chupacabra has not been seen outside of Puerto Rico, and not since the 1990's. Elsewhere in Latin America, the Chupacabra is just used as a generic term for any mystery creature blamed for attacks on livestock, with any alleged Chupacabra carcass that has been tested genetically turning out to be either a coyote, dog or wolf (sometimes a hybrid of several canid species) that has lost its hair as a result of a skin disease.

At any rate, this book is mandatory reading for any Fortean who has an interest in the folklore surrounding the Chupacabra.

[Daniel Morgan]

Yes - this is a book about an animal that doesn't exist and which the author concludes does not exist. And yet it is amazing!

Why did the author write this book about a nonexistent creature?

"Why, then, write this book? Why pend considerable time, effort, and money to disprove something that skeptics never believed existed in the first place, and which believers will ignore? There are two answers.

The first is that this book was written for people with open minds, not those closed with certainty on either end of the spectrum. I've done my best to research, understand, and explain the entire chupacabra phenomenon using logic and scientific analysis, and ultimately readers will make up their own minds.

The more important answer is that my research is not really about the chupacabra, for the vampiric beast almost certainly does not and cannot exist. This book is about folklore made "real", about how ancient superstitions inherent in the human mind gave the European vampire a fearsome new face at the end of the twentieth century. It is about how sincere, respected eyewitnesses who claim to have seen monsters can be completely wrong. It is about careful investigation and science can solve mysteries created by rumor, speculation, and sloppy research. It is about how rumor combined with sensationalized news reports helped create a monster, and about how the chupacabra label fills the gap between what laypeople guess and what scientists know." (p 176).

The author thoroughly explores the entire phenomenon - first report in Puerto Rico, reports in other countries, every carcass that has ever been recovered. Music, art, news media, movies. Cultural antecedents and influences. The science of vampirism - and how all of these animals are actually just mangey canids. This is a clear and thoughtful book that demonstrates just how useful scientific investigation can be, as well as how folkore can become realized by so many people.

[Michelle Boyer]

I picked this book up at a Popular Culture Conference and, honestly, was quite excited to see it sitting on the table. I love the Cupacabra. Who wouldn't love mangy dog-like creature that attacks its prey and drains them of their blood? (Hold up: there's a different type of Chupacabra that has spikes down its back and was released from a government lab... okay... not sure what to do with this information!)

Radford, in short, goes to great lengths to explain why all prior Chupacabra 'research' is basically bunk and has very little research value. He isn't wrong. Most of the 'research' is someone writing down someone else's account of what they saw and then that's it. This person saw this, it must be true... no we do not have the time or resources to send a search party out. So, again, a great deal of this book just explains how bad the current research is. Enter the US Chupacabras where there were bodies to test... well, we all know those are all coyotes with mange (if we believe extensive DNA analysis and the experts that returned these results -- which, I think we do).

Honestly, it was a fun read that I think would be great for students needing to learn what methodological approaches to research questions look like. The more Radford explains why the research of "XXX" is useless, the more I did get to see why that research was useless. I thought it was a good way to delve into what 'bad' research looks like.

Overall, a fun read! I still think there are mangy Chupacabras out there, and even if they aren't a secret government experiment and are just mangy coyotes, they're still pretty cool.

[Peter]

I often came across the legendary chupacabra on my ramblings in horror. But what is it? This book gives a short history of the beast, its history and spread, folklore, the history of the vampire in pop culture (films and literature). Then we see the author in search of it in Nicaragua, found carcasses, solving its mystery. Captivating zoology of chupacabras and the science of vampires. Good photos and picture material inside. This is the definite book if you want to find out more about this haunting thing. After the book you can form your own opinion. Really recommended!

[Andrea]

I don't quite know why, but I enjoy reading about cryptids. This book did a good job of explaining where the 'folklore' of the chupacabra developed. I had no idea it has only been around since 1995. The author mainly debunks the whole thing as being fictional, which I guess I expected, but still.... Some of the images were crazy.

[Jason Gemmill]

Spoiler alert- The Chupacabra is not real. I has hoped this book would be be more about the eccentrics that believe or claim to have evidence. Although interesting, the focus on mass hysteria wasn't quite what I was hoping for.

[Orin Bellizio]

An examination of the chupacabra myth and why it is total BS. Did not realize that it dated back only to 1995. Enjoyed the bit where the most cited description of the cryptid exactly matched the creature from an SF movie.

[Dustin]

A interesting and skeptical look at the origins of the chupacabra myth. It's well researched but a pretty dry read.

[jj Grilliette]

Giving 3.5. Would have liked a little more folklore

[Jay Koester]

My review of this book originally ran in the El Paso Times. Here it is:

El Paso and Juárez have a long, sordid history with El Chupacabra, from stories and alleged sightings during the height of the craze in 1995 to mysterious chicken deaths last year near Horizon City.

Believers see the chupacabra (Spanish for goatsucker) as a bloodthirsty monster that attacks at night, sucking the blood out of chickens, sheep and, of course, goats. Some believe chupacabras are a U.S. government experiment gone wrong. Others see something alien in nature.

Now along comes Benjamin Radford to spoil all the fun. But Radford's book, "Tracking the Chupacabra: The Vampire Beast in Fact, Fiction, and Folklore" (University of New Mexico Press, $24.95), is an enjoyable ride. The legend doesn't hold up well under Radford's scientific microscope, but the curious will still love this tour through the tall tales.

Radford is the managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer science magazine and lives in Corrales, N.M.

He starts with a short history of the chupacabra, delving into the history of vampire tales and chupacabra folklore. In one entertaining section, he goes on an old-fashioned monster hunt, exploring the jungles of Nicaragua in an attempt to track down the elusive beast. On Day 3 of the expedition, Radford writes, "Our hikes and searches had not yielded any sightings, but I had prepared another strategy. No matter how shy or well hidden any chupacabras might be, there was one piece of evidence that would be impossible to hide: their tracks."

After the expedition, Radford goes systematically through all the well-known chupacabra sightings and carcass findings. A little research explains each case as something less than paranormal.

The chicken deaths near Horizon City get a section in the book as well. (Full disclosure: I was interviewed by Radford for that section.)

After exploring the chicken deaths near Horizon City, Radford asks, "Why do chupacabras seem to appear more often in Texas than in any other state? One answer is that the state's geography, culture and ecology combine to create excellent conditions for manufacturing chupacabras."

One problem for anyone studying chupacabras is the variety of descriptions the beast is given. The first alleged chupacabra sighting, in 1995 in Puerto Rico, offers researchers the most well-known description: A beast that stands on two legs, with spikes on his back, big red eyes and long, thin arms. But alleged chupacabra carcasses found throughout the American Southwest are always four-legged animals that often look like a hairless dog.

Radford delves into the histories of these competing visions. One of the more fascinating parts of "Tracking the Chupacabra" is his theory of how the original description came about. I won't play spoiler here, except to say that popular culture and chupacabra stories often go hand in hand.

Anyone who loves a good Texas tale, but also enjoys scientific inquiry, will get a kick out of "Tracking the Chupacabra."

Although Radford does a thorough job of slaying the beast, the author points out that true believers will see his book as just another part of the government cover-up. As he writes in the end: "The chupacabra is dead. Long live the chupacabra."

Jay Koester still owns the chupacabra shirt he bought in 1995 in Juárez. He reported on the Horizon City chupacabra story for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at jaykoester@sbcglobal.net.

[Maria Bross]

Thank you Mr. Radford for your investigative research and for putting it all in a book. It was easy to understand and I couldn’t put it down.

[Frank]

When I went to the library as a kid I would come away with either a baseball bio or something about Bigfoot, Nessie, or aliens. Now, while I would love for a genuine cryptozoological oddity to be discovered, my interest is more in the debunking aspect of the genre. I picked this book up because one, it was written by the managing editor of Skeptical Enquirer, and two, because the chupacabra is the new Bigfoot (or at least its hot Latin cousin).

Radford gives a historical perspective on the role of vampiric creatures in Latin American folklore, as well as that of conspiracy theories (did you know one of the leading beliefs about the chupacabra is that it was created as a U.S. weapon experiment?). Most fascinating insight came when he picked apart the "case zero" eyewitness account that started the Chupa craze in Puerto Rico in 1995. Turns out, and Radford really puts in the research here, that the woman who first described the creature most likely based it on the alien in the movie "Species" which she had just seen. Seriously.

[Peter]

A thorough tour through the examination of a cryptozoological creature. Radford approaches the subject with a rational mind, examining it from all angles. He traces the history of the creature— which is incredibly recent—enters the jungles, and interviews various people, from witnesses, to animal control staff, to biologists. He examines the historical context of the first report to find an astounding coincidental entertainment event, and looks at social and conspiratorial angles.

If anything, the book may get a bit repetitive in its attempt to be thorough and accurate, but as the author points out, he's the first one to actually investigate the sightings and carefully question the witnesses.

Very complete and satisfying in an academic way.

[Elizabeth]

This was book #1 in my personal "One from Each Shelf" project. (At my public library, I'm choosing one book to read from each non-fiction shelf, in order.)

The research behind this book is impressive, and the author has an interesting anthropological story to tell behind the chupacabra legend. I was particularly interested in his ideas about why the legend persists.

[Jewels]

Nicely put together research, conducted by the writer himself. There's a logical progression to his premise, and I find that even though I like to believe there's a little bit of mystery left in this old world, I'm more skewed to skepticism on this topic.

[Lauren]

Now, onto Bigfoot and the Mayan Apocalypse, right?

[Melanie H]

Scientific exploration methods applied to a mythical creature. Interesting but odd.

[Science For The People]

Featured on Skeptically Speaking #120 on July 10, 2011, during an interview with author Benjamin Radford. http://skepticallyspeaking.ca/episode...

[kat]

With a distinct paucity of factual information to impart about the chupacabra, the author reealllly padded this book out with a lot of filler. It had interesting bits though.

[Shane Brady]

This is the best book I've ever read on a cryptozoological topic. You may never read another book as well researched as this.

[Patty]

There is a lot more to this story than is covered by this book. The author chooses to link all cases to one claim and pushes his theory to fit. Disappointed.

[Susan Ferguson]

Very thorough investigation of sightings and evidence of the chupacabra.

[Marty]

A great book that shows what investigation can accomplish.