It had been attacking chickens a few days earlier, and met its demise by poison left as bait. A less common description reported by eyewitnesses describes it as a strange breed of wild dog. It's mostly hairless and has a pronounced spinal ridge, unusually pronounced eye sockets, fangs, and claws. This description resembles the beast displayed at the museum. It weighed about 80 lbs and resembled a coyote or dog except the front legs were a few inches longer than most coyotes. The beast's body was mostly hairless other than around the feet and along its backbone. The numerous inquires about the animal forced Ayer to abandon plans to use the creature as a conversation piece and sell it to a real estate agent named John Adolfi, owner of the Lost World Museum. Is this animal an actual chupacabra?
Tissue samples were collected from the beast. However, the DNA results have not been revealed yet. Two common theories are that it is either a hairless Mexican dog breed called Xoloitzcuintli or some kind of mangy coyote. The alleged chupacabra found in Cuero, TX in 2007 turned out to be mostly coyote. Ayer never claimed it was a chupacabra and believes it is a "genetically defective coyote". However, Adolfi decided to display it and other unusual items and artifacts as an example of "fallibility of science" and to cast doubt on the credibility of mainstream scientists.
The first reported chupacabra attacks occurred in March 1995 in Puerto Rico. Eight sheep were discovered dead, each with three puncture wounds in the chest and were completely drained of blood. Puerto Rican comedian and entrepreneur Silverio P'erez is credited with coining the term "chupacabras" soon after the first incidents were reported in the press. Since then, chupacabra sightings and animal deaths have been documented in such countries as Dominican Republic, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Brazil, United States, and Mexico.
Will the DNA results prove, once and for all, the existence of the third best-known mystery animal or does John Adolfi own the world's most expensive dead coyote? The stuffed chupacabra will remain on display through Halloween.
