Mystery creature lurking in Texas backyard baffles residents: ‘Chupacabra’

A strange sighting four-legged creature lurking in a backyard has baffled the residents of a small Texas city and even has animal experts scratching their heads.

Tina Kahlig, from Hill Country Village, snapped a photo of the bizarre yellowish-brown animal that appears to be about the size of a large dog, with a long tail that almost touches the ground and very large, pricked ears.

“I was inside and I looked out into the yard,” Kahlig told KENS 5. “And I saw an animal right here and thought, ‘Wow, what is that?’” 

The mysterious creature walked around her yard and even stopped to eat some berries that had fallen from a bush for just a few moments before vanishing into the brush, Kahlig said.

Kahlig, unsure what the animal could be, posted the video on social media and asked her neighbors for help identifying it.

“Chupacabra,” Kahlig chuckled. “Some people think it’s a cross between a coyote and a dog.” 

There is a local legend around Hill Country Village, which is only about 15 miles north of downtown San Antonio, about an old mountain lion wandering the area, but it’s never been documented, city officials told KENS 5. 

The city has reached out to Texas Game Wardens but has yet to receive a response, according to the outlet.

The San Antonio Zoo’s director of mammals, Rachel Malstaff, said that the critter appeared to be either a dog or coyote when he reviewed Kahlig’s photos.

Two veterinarians at the zoo, Dr. Rob and Dr. Tarah, told KENS 5 it could be a dog with skin issues.