do you believe?
quote:
It's a mysterious animal that most say is mythical, but for one Mission man, the creature is no myth.
"It's kind of a weird animal," said Frank Lozano. "It's a different animal."
Lozano said Thursday afternoon around 3:30 p.m., a so called "chupacabra" made its way onto his property.
"I saw him," said Lozano. "He never ran."
Lozano said he saw the animal come through a gate and that's when he ran, got the gun and shot the animal.
From there, Lozano dragged the carcass closer to his home where his neighbors and friends could get a good look at the animal.
"It's an animal that I've never seen before," said family friend Raul De La Torre in Spanish.
They refuse to believe that the creature could simply be a coyote or a dog.
"I've seen coyotes, but this is very different," said De La Torre.
The "chupacabra" is known for sucking the blood of goats, hence its name, goat sucker, but in this case, the Lozano family said this animal went after their chicks.
"There wasn't one left," said Frank's mother Francisca in Spanish. "It ate 20 and destroyed the cage."
The teeth, ears, shape of its head and limbs make this family believe that the creature is none other than a "chupacabra."
"I've heard of it. Never seen one, but I've heard of it," said Associate Veterinarian Dr. Shelly Mitchell from the Mission Veterinary Hospital.
Action 4 News brought footage of the animal to Mitchell to see if this would be the first time she gets to see a "chupacabra."
"To me it looks like a coyote that possibly has a skin parasite or other disease that caused the hair to fall out," said Mitchell.
It's a verdict that doesn't surprise Mitchell.
"I think it's in most cases an old wive's tale, but you know. You never know. It could be out there," said Mitchell.
As for Lozano, he said no matter what the experts say, he stands by his belief.
"Well it's up to them," he said. "They know. But it's different. It's a different animal
