Authorities believe odd animal could be beaver

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009

A White Plains woman saw a strange creature waddling in the road near the St. Charles Towne Center, but the county government said the animal was likely a beaver standing on its hind legs.

Sherry Morris said she was driving near the mall in Waldorf on Oct. 29 when the car in front of her came to a dead stop for an animal that was in the road.

The creature was grayish with hairless, leathery skin and had the head of a dog, according to Morris. It weighed about 40 pounds and looked like it was crouched on its hind legs. The animal waddled or hopped into a swampy area and disappeared, Morris said.

"I've never seen anything like it," she said. "It looked like a monster."

Once she got home, Morris looked up pictures of a mythical animal called a chupacabra, which she said resembled the creature she saw. She called the police to report the sighting, and the operator told her other people have also spotted strange creatures in the area.

Based on Morris' description and the location of the sighting, authorities have determined the animal in question was probably a beaver standing upright, said Amy Calvin, county spokeswoman.

In September, a witness reported seeing a chupacabra, meaning "goat sucker" in Spanish, in the fields of a White Plains farm. The county government issued a release asking for the public's help locating the animal, which reportedly resembled a monkey.

Calvin said there have been no other reported glimpses of a chupacabra since the Sept. 19 incident.

brodgers@somdnews.com