Hairless creature on loose at SC golf course, some believe chupacabra

SANTEE, S.C. — A giant ship rat, a coyote with mange, a sickly kangaroo, or a chupacabra.

People on Facebook trying to identify this four-legged hairless creature are still going strong after Doug Stewart posted its photo a few days ago.

He spotted the beast scrounging around while he was playing golf in Santee, South Carolina. As of Thursday, more than 700 people have commented on his #ThatAintNoDog post.

A chupacabra is popular in Spanish folklore and literally means “goat sucker,” since it enjoys noshing on the blood of livestock.

Some have called it the Big Foot of the Latin culture. They’ve been featured on “The X-Files,” “Grimm” and several sci-fi movies including the 1997 “Guns of El Chupacabra.”

However, most wildlife management officials and biologists say chupacabras are pretty much folklore.

Jay Butfiloski, furbearer project manager for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, is among that group. When asked about the animal on the golf course, he didn’t mince words.

Butfiloski told WCIV: "It's a canine with mange; it’s not a chupracabra. That you can put to bed.”

Read more at WCIV.

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