LEWISTON – Comforting news for people who have seen an unidentifiable animal in or around local woods: You are not alone.

In addition to more than a dozen local people who have spotted the unknown beast, sightings have been reported this summer in Maryland and Texas.

From Southern states to the Sabattus Lake region of Maine, the descriptions are startlingly similar. The creature is described as roughly 4 feet high, with a long tail and glowing eyes. Those who have seen it claim the sight of the animal is unnerving. And in Maryland, photographs have been taken of the creature. In the pictures, it looks like a hyena.

In Litchfield, Brenda Theberge looked at copies of the Maryland photos. She believes it is the same kind of animal she spotted eight years ago on Route 126.

“It was tan and gray and it had these weird eyes. It was sunset and those eyes were just glowing,” Brenda said. “It was definitely scary to look at.”

The creature spotted in other states is called, by some, the Chupacabra – originally, the name of a mythical animal said to suck the blood of other animals in South and Central America.

In San Antonio, Texas, an animal was shot after similar sightings were reported in that state. Zoo officials were unable to identify it, although one San Antonio wildlife biologist suggested it was a coyote with mange.

In Glyndon, Md., residents trapped an animal they believe is the mystery creature. It was identified as a red fox with scabies. Some people involved in those sightings, including a veterinarian, dispute that the trapped animal is the same beast spotted earlier in the summer.

An Internet discussion board about the Maryland sightings can be found on the Web at http://www.thegreenhead.com/watercooler/2004/08/hyote-mystery-creature-spotted-in.php.