Elmendorf Beast

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The Elmendorf Beast is the name given to a strange creature discovered in South Texas.

The animal was shot by a rancher, Devin McAnally, in Elmendorf, Texas (south of San Antonio) in August 2004, after it had mauled thirty-five chickens in one day. It was a small hairless creature. Upon further examination, it appeared to be like nothing else known. It weighed twenty pounds (nine kilograms), and was very malnourished. The animal is said to have a severe overbite, and massive tissue damage. Later, more and more of these beasts were uncovered in the neighborhoods of Elmendorf, Pollok, and Lufkin, Texas. These beasts are unique in having a bluish-gray skin tone and no hair. When the first one was shot, it was said to have been eating mulberries. At the time, some thought the creature was a wolf–coyote cross, others thought that it was a Mexican Hairless Dog (or some other dog) with mange, and some even speculated that it was a Muntjac deer. Not surprisingly, some claimed the beast was a Chupacabra.

After the initial encounter in Elmendorf, another was spotted of Friday afternoon, October 8, under the patio of the Womack family in Pollok. In this instance, the house-owners' large dogs barked at it, but cried and whimpered when they were brought closer to the beast. The beast was shot in the eye, and virtually no blood came out of the wound. The family then phoned an expert, their daughter Stacey, who came immediately. As she was on her way, a similar animal crossed the road just in front of her. She suspects that the fleeing animal was the dead one's mate. The first of the bodies was later sent for DNA testing and many experts in the field had come up with different theories. The first result was inconclusive, though it confirmed that the species was canine. A second test said that the creature was a coyote, but made no mention of the first test, so some people doubt its accuracy. At any rate, the creatures are certainly canines with some severe skin disease (perhaps mange), as well as facial deformities which are possibly genetic.

Upon examining the Elmendorf photographs, a spokesman with the San Antonio Zoo said this is definitely not a coyote, but he doesn't know what it may be. Some of the Elmendorf tissue has been shipped to the University of California-Davis Veterinarian Genetics Laboratory for DNA analysis. Results are still pending.