Ep 3. Chupacabra and Ropen

In the third episode of Destination Truth's first season, viewers join host Josh Gates and his team as they set out to investigate two mythical creatures: the Chupacabra and the Ropen.

First up on the team's investigation is the Chupacabra, a legendary creature believed to roam throughout the Americas. According to local tales, the Chupacabra is a vampiric beast that sucks the blood out of livestock. The team heads to Puerto Rico, where sightings of the creature have been reported in recent years. There, they speak with locals who claim to have seen the Chupacabra themselves and gather evidence such as bite marks on animals.

As the investigation progresses, the team encounters a group of men who claim to have captured a live Chupacabra. Upon examination of the creature, however, the team learns that it is likely a hairless raccoon that has been mistaken for the mythical monster. Despite not uncovering concrete evidence of a Chupacabra's existence, the team doesn't dismiss the possibility of the creature's existence entirely.

Next, the Destination Truth team travels to Papua New Guinea to search for the Ropen, a flying creature that some natives believe is a pterosaur. The team meets with locals who recount their own experiences with the Ropen and recounts of the creature's ability to glow in the dark. Some native people even suggest that the Ropen is a messenger of a higher power, a belief that adds to the mystery surrounding the creature.

By nightfall, the team sets up camp in a high-altitude valley, equipped with night-vision cameras and other scientific equipment to detect any traces of the Ropen. After a tense night of waiting, the team spots a strange object in the sky. Upon closer inspection, they realize that it might be the Ropen. Excitement builds as the team tries to get a closer look, but the creature disappears into the night before they can gather any definitive evidence.

While the teams' investigations of the Chupacabra and Ropen do not lead to clear conclusions, the episodes demonstrate the cultural significance that these creatures play in the lives of locals. Destination Truth's team does not dismiss strange stories and creature sightings offhand, instead taking them seriously and further investigating each legend with an open mind. Overall, the episode is an intriguing and exciting look into cryptozoology and the lengths that people will go to prove that what they believe is real.