The chupacabras panic in Mexico
In April and May 1996 the chupacabras scare spread from Puerto Rico to Mexico: a woman in the village of Alfonso G. Calderón, northern Sinaloa, said a winged creature attacked her, and dead sheep and goats were reported in Sinaloa, Jalisco, Veracruz and other states.
1996 CE · 25.80, -108.95 · status: claim
The account
The Sinaloa state government put together a team of 15 scientists and technicians, including a bat specialist. Jalisco reported hundreds of dead animals; one trucker said a small gelatinous being attacked him. National newspapers like La Jornada ran columns on the panic, which coincided with an economic crisis.
The sceptical view
Agricultural officials blamed coyotes, feral dogs and vampire bats. Some commentators read the panic as a distraction or a symbol of hardship; no creature was ever caught. The coordinates are approximate.