Farmworkers showing up at Honduras Congressman Valentin Suárez’ farm near Comayagua last week “found dozens of dead sheep with injuries to their necks. Others had bled to death. Nearly 42 animals were lifeless and another 10 injured,” according to the Inexplicata blog, translating a report from Honduras’ La Prensa:
The cost of each animal is between 1000 and 1,500 lempiras [$50-75]…. Suarez said that the farm’s staff will keep a nocturnal watch in the hopes of finding any clue that may clarify the situation.
According to Tulio Escoto, manager of the hacienda, the dead sheep’s ages ranged from two months to five years old. Their pens were in various locations. After identifying the number of dead animals, the authorities of the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (SENASA – National Livestock Heath Service) were notified in order to set an investigation in motion.
Experts took note of the type of injuries displayed by the animals and the area, as well as the seriousness of the injuries. They also requested two dead sheep to perform autopsies on them in order to determine the cause and type of attack suffered by the mammals through a blood and tissue analysis performed by laboratories in Tegucigalpa.
According to veterinarian Marco Polo Micheletti, studying the carcasses will allow them to determine whether the injuries were caused by an animal or some sort of cutting/penetrating instrument. Farm workers and local residents did not dismiss the possibility that the Chupacabras could be involved. “There is no scientific validity to Chupacabras stories,” retorted Micheletti. “So that’s out of the question.”
Screen capture from La Prensa, where there are more photos.