Bizarre Animal Captured Near Oklahoma's Dry Gulch U.S.A.

NewsOn6.com

NEAR ADAIR, OK -- A bizarre-looking animal that has been roaming the countryside of rural Mayes County has been captured and turned over to wildlife experts in Claremore.

Jeremy Scheffel says he first encountered the creature on his back porch a few weeks ago.  When he turned on the outside light he saw the animal scurry away. It looked so strange, he says he thought he was losing his mind.

"It looks like a huge rat. It's kind of creepy," Scheffel said. 

Other people who live in the area, which is west of Lake Hudson, reported seeing the animal in the following weeks, especially at night. 

Scheffel decided to try to capture it.  His friend Josh Cook set out a trap and within 24 hours had succeeded.

Scheffel and Cook turned the creature over to the experts at Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Claremore. 

Scheffel says they believe it's a raccoon that has an advanced case of mange, but that's not stopping people in the area from calling it something else. 

He says it's known as the Dry Gulch chupacabra, after the legendary animal that supposedly sucks the blood of goats.

The experts at Wild Heart Ranch say the animal will grow its hair back so it will again look like a normal raccoon.

9/1/2009 Related story: Stilwell Woman Claims Dead 'Chupacabra' Found In Adair Co