A mythical blood-sucking creature called the Chupacabra is believed to have savaged sheep on a Mexican ranch.
Worried farmers have reported a spate of deadly attacks on livestock at night since Christmas day at the Santa Lucia ranch in the municipality of Medellin de Bravo in Veracruz.
Vets have ruled out any natural known predator for the deaths of 18 sheep over because the bite marks were not consistent with those of a coyote, bat, dog, lynx or any other found in the region.
It is not thought to be a case of cruel thieves either as farmers have reported none of their animals missing.
Since the first attack on December 25 2020, there have been other incidents on December 28, January 12, and February 21.
Images show some of the injured sheep showing wounds on their muzzle or neck after they were reportedly attacked by the creature.
The mysterious circumstances behind the attacks led some locals to believe they were done by the mythical creature known as the ‘Chupacabra’ (‘Goat Sucker’) that, according to legend, feeds on different animals but mostly livestock.
Chupacabra became well-known in Latin American countries and parts of the United States after someone first claimed to see it in Puerto Rico in 1995.
Sightings with varying descriptions of the animal have since been reported, however, it is still widely considered to be a supernatural tale.
The local farmers have lost as many as a reported 18 sheep since the start of the attacks and fear the mysterious creature could harm them.
However, local sources said they remain vigilant in hopes of capturing the animal which they claim kills for no apparent reason since it does not feed on its prey.