Chile: Report on a Chupacabras Encounter

Source: Noticiero Ufologico Autonomo (NOUFA) No.54
Date: March 2019

Chile: Report on a Chupacabras Encounter
From the Files of Raul Gajardo Lepold, Researcher

First Case

Angol, 11.26.2006

IEA(*) Eyewitness Account

[(*) IEA stands for Intruso Esporádico Agresivo - Sporadic Aggressive Intruder, an acronym used in South America to designate the paranormal predator known more commonly as the Chupacabras]

FROM Pablo Andres Diaz Caceres, 28, married, graphic designer, residing at 414 Las Violetas, Graneros.

"In the year 2003, while at a cookout with Mr. RAFAEL MORENO, general anesthesiologist of the region in the locality of Las Cabras, 6th Region of Chile, on the shores of Lake Rapel, he told me that while exercising his profession in [the city] of Copiapó in 1998, one of his fellow doctors, who was affiliated with the Army, told him that he had examined the corpse of an Army conscript who had died during maneuvers as the consequence of hand grenade explosion. The autopsy, however, revealed that this was not the cause of the soldier's death. Rather, it had come about from serious cutting and piercing wounds and tears caused by the claws of a wild animal. He was badly mauled. It was said he had encountered a warren of these creatures (IEA) in a cave near Copiapó, in a place dubbed Fosforita, where a group of these creatures was nesting. The Army ordered a platoon to enter the cave, where the conscript was attached by these animals, dying instantly. Next, these animals were gunned down and their corpses subsequently delivered to representatives of the U.S. government and shipped away in unmarked helicopters.

"In the year 1999, while on missionary activity as an elder for the Church of Latter Day Saints in the city of Tal-Tal, he had the chance to speak to the aforementioned Army physician, Doctor Moreno's friend - he did not remember the man's name or physical description - who told him "that he had seen strange things, the body of a conscript slain by an animal attack. The wounds were not the result of any weapon." This doctor was very discreet. The information stayed in his memory until he subsequently ran into Dr. MORENO at Las Cabras. The case was one and the same.


"In May 2000, JOSE MIGUEL SANHUEZA, also a graphic design student, was on the verge of finishing his time in the army as a reserve corporal, commando and parachutist for one of the Regiments in the locality of Colina. He awakened by the sound of gunfire. A lieutenant and two sentries doing their rounds were set upon by a non-descript shape against which they opened fire when it refused to answer their challenges. It was an animal capable of leaping quickly from one place to another, and none of their bullets struck true, although impact was made against a backhoe, which the witness did see during the daytime. The animal moved swiftly through the scrub vegetation while the troops exhausted their ammo firing against it. The creature was seemingly unharmed, as no tracks or traces of blood were found."

Second Case

Angol, 07.04. 2005

I am interviewing Mr. JOSE CEA BENAVIDES, 54, married, middle school graduate, forestry technician, residing at Colo-Colo 1341, who states the following:

"Between 1980 and 1985 I worked at Fundo Los Aples 3 in the Nahuelbuta Mountains engaged in forestry development. I pursued the same activity from 1986 to 88 in Fundo Tranicura, Alboyanco Sector; 1989-93 at Fundo Estados Unidos between Traiguén and Purén; 1994-96 at Fundo Pangal and Pan de Azúcar; 1999 at Fundo Las Acequias and 2000-2004 employed by Ahuile and Co. My reason for stating all this is to point out that I have worked for many years in timber extraction and I know all the wild animals that exist in the vicinity of Angol.

"However, on Monday, September 20, 2004, during the fading hours of the afternoon, shortly after sunset, I was returning alone from visiting some properties of mine in the Deuco Sector, some 6 kilometers SW of Angol, driving in my pickup. Some 500 meters before reaching the junction with the road linking Angol to Los Sauces, I pulled over at the edge of the dirt track, beside a yellow iron gate on the right side of the road, in order to urinate.

"Having completed this act, standing on the front right side of the vehicle, I realized that a very strange animal was heading my way from a distance of some 30 meters. I shall describe it later. I started walking around the pickup, along its rear, and later decided to walk toward that animal, which had progressed some 10 meters from where I stood. Seeing my movements, it stopped and went back "SIDEWAYS" without turning its back until it reached a pine tree, facing me, NEVER TAKING ITS EYES off me.

"At that moment I boarded the pickup and returned to Angol.

"At no time did the animal - or whatever it was - make a show of aggression toward me. Rather, it was friendly but shy. To tell the truth, it didn't frighten me at all.

"What was strange was its shape: I figured it to have a height of 1.5 meters, solidly built, seemingly very strong, sturdy, with a body completely covered in black or dark fur, about a geme long (geme- unit of measure designating the distance from the outstretched thumb and forefinger of a hand). It stood erect. Its arms were short and kept them always to its torso. Legs were strong and straight. I never saw it flex its knees. Its back was straight despite the erect gait. The head was smaller in proportion to the body: it had two ears, erect and pointed like those of a horse. It had a trunk or slender muzzle measuring some 10 to 15 centimeters long. I couldn't make out any eyes, possibly due to the hairiness of its head, nor could I see a nose below the aforementioned protuberance. Its shoulders were normal, like those of a man. Short neck. I couldn't make out fingers on its hands or toes on its feet. I think it could be mistaken for a slender-headed bear. The short arms were gathered over its abdomen.

"I was able to see it clearly thanks to the light, its proximity, and because the terrain is scraggy, with scattered pines and a lack of scrub vegetation. What struck me was its erect gait. Another strange thing was that when it walked sideways toward the pine, some 10 meters distance, the ground under its feet RESONATED, as though its footsteps REVERBERATED, showing it was quite heavy. The ground was dry.

"My footsteps could not be heard. Due to its corpulence I think the animal weighed many kilos. I cannot find another explanation.

"The animal remained beside the pine tree; I boarded my pickup truck, and returned home to Angol."

SKETCH OF THE ANIMAL DESCRIBED:



[Translation (c) 2019 Scott Corrales, IHU with thanks to Raúl Núñez, IIEE and NOUFA, and Raul Gajardo Lepold]