For decades, people across Texas and the Southwest have reported strange hairless creatures attacking livestock — animals many claimed were the legendary Chupacabra.
But the real explanation is just a strange and we have it on my latest YouTube video.
In this Dark Outdoors® video episode and wildlife investigatio cross-over I break down the true wildlife science behind “Chupacabra” sightings and shows how coyotes, foxes, raccoons — and even bears — suffering from severe mange can transform into nightmarish creatures.
You’ll see:
What coyotes with mange REALLY look like
Why mange causes extreme hair loss, blackened skin, and deformities
How predators change behavior when sick, making them seem “mysterious” or “unnatural”
The difference between myth, hoax, and legitimate wildlife cases
This was an interesting topic to tackle and it’s one that will probably generate some controversy because I do believe there is a pretty simple solution to a very strange legend.
Were U.S. soldiers in Vietnam only battling human enemies—or were they also encountering undiscovered ape species in the jungle? Author RC Bramhall joins Dark Outdoors to reveal the terrifying legend of the Rock Apes.
Were U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War facing more than just human enemies? Many veterans swore they encountered these creatures, known as the “Rock Apes,” while fighting in the dense jungles of Southeast Asia.
On this episode of Dark Outdoors, RC Bramhall, author of Haunted War Tales, joins Chester Moore to share chilling stories of these bipedal, ape-like beings and the battles that ensued.
Blending military history, cryptid lore, and firsthand soldier accounts, Bramhall explores whether these encounters were stress-induced hallucinations or genuine brushes with an undiscovered primate. If you’re drawn to the eerie crossroads of war stories, wilderness mysteries, and other strange outdoors phenomena this episode is one you can’t miss.
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In the latest edition of Higher Calling Wildlife® on our YouTube channel, I talk about a long forgotten giant rattlesnake photo.
On a personal level, this is a very special program because it ties into my childhood as I first heard of this photo many years ago.
Check it out here and don’t forget to subscribe.
Working Dogs For Conservation
Working Dogs For Conservation does amazing work using rescued dogs to aid wildlife conservation efforts ranging from wildlife trafficking issues to wild sheep disease.
It’s a two-parter. Check out the episodes at the link below.
On January 2016 an interesting story broke via KLTV out of Tyler., TX.
Landowner Mitchell Cox of Hughes Springs captured on video what he and many others thinks is a “white panther”.
“When I first saw the white animal, the first thing I thought was, it was a dog. I feel blessed to actually be able to see it,” said landowner Mitchell Cox in the KLTV story.
“The cat jumps across about a 6 foot creek there. At first, my initial thought was it was an edited video, but upon talking to people I believe it’s true. A white albino mountain lion,” investigator Hershel Stroman, of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office told KLTV officials.
The video is interesting and the animal moves like a cougar but without a closer video (this one was shot 50 yards away with a cellphone) it is difficult to tell.
The term “white panther” is rarely used and in this case it is a reference to what is believed to be a white cougar (mountain lion, puma). This might sound like a stretch but whether or not the 2016 video shows one, science has observed white cougars.
In 2011 a white cougar was born at the Attica Zoological Park in Greece and was aptly named “Casper” proving they are a possibility in nature. A 2013 trail camera photo from Sierra dos Argaos National Park shows a white cougar. It’s leucistic which means its white all over with the exception of the eyes. Leucistic tigers for example have blue eyes.
This photo shocked the world-a white puma (cougar) in Brazil. Image: ICMBio
In the mid 2000s there were several reports of a white cougar at Red Rock National Conservation Area near Las Vegas, NV. A “white panther’ is a truly rare animal.
Sightings of “black panthers” are commonly reported.
Many hunters, fishermen, birdwatchers, hikers and people of all walks of life reporting seeing large long-tailed black cats they label as “black panthers”.
The problems there is no such species as a “black panther” anywhere in the world.
What about the large black cats seen in zoos and on television programs?
Those are black (melanistic) leopards or black jaguars.
Melanism is when a hyper amount of black pigment dominates coloration of an animal. It happens in many animals ranging from squirrels to whitetail deer. Melanism is not uncommon in leopards in certain parts of their range as well as with jaguars.
The general assumption with “black panther” sightings i is that these are black or melanistic cougars. The problem is there has never been a melanistic cougar observed by science either in a zoo, captive setting, killed by a hunter, mounted by a taxidermist or otherwise positively identified.
And here we have two extremely rare white ones showing up in the span of a few years.
Is it possible that there could be black cougars? Yes, but not likely.
Now, those of us who appreciate wild cats, can marvel at the idea of a white cougar.
We know they exist.
Perhaps sometime in the future there will be validation of these cat on the other side of color spectrum.
Until then we can appreciate the fact these mysteries deepen peoples love of nature and hope that translates into conserving the habitat of the great cats.
Truly wild habitat in many areas of America is quickly becoming as elusive as the cats themselves.
You never know what you’re going to see traveling through the Texas Hill Country at night. Sometimes you come across a true mystery animal.
Geoffrey Bennett submitted these photos (after posting on his Facebook) of an animal his brother saw and was able to capture these images of as it climbed a rock wall.
Exact location has not been given nor would we give it but it’s safe to say it is in the beautiful limestone-encrusted Edwards Plateau.
On the initial posts several people chimed in with thoughts including jaguarundi, ringtail and lemur.
It’s definitely not a ringtail or lemur.
Jaguarundi was my first thought at seeing the photo below but after seeing the next one in the series I am convinced this is a kinkajou (Potus flavus). These rainforest dwellers are the only member of the genus “Potos” and are sometimes called a “honey bear”.
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Bennett
The tail is what tipped me off. Kinkajous have a prehensile (climbing/gripping able) tail and this one is curled up. I have a kinkajou at our Kingdom Zoo: Wildlife Center and his named is “Irwin”.
Photo courtesy Jeffrey Bennett
His tail is always curled up.
Plus the body and head just look kinkajou and if you look close enough you can see what looks like a collar.
Our kinkajou “Irwin” taking a nap in his hide.
If this is a kinkajou, what is it doing in the Texas Hill Country?
They are common animals at zoos and wildlife parks and are not a rare pet. In fact, for those who like exotics they make a much smaller and generally safer pet than say a lion.
My suspicion this is someone’s pet that escaped.
What do you think of the identify of this cool-looking animal?
Post your comments below.
Have you seen anything like this? We’d love to see the photos.
We appreciate Mr. Bennett giving us access to these pics and sharing this unique encounter with us wildlife lovers.
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