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Officials with the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Texas have asked the public for help in identifying a “mystery animal” caught on video by a trail camera.
“Captured on game camera – a mystery animal lurking in the Rio Grande Valley!” the park wrote on Facebook.
“We’re scratching our heads trying to identify this elusive creature. Is it a new species? An escapee from a nearby zoo? Or just a park ranger in disguise?
“Regardless, it’s thrilling to see such an incredible animal in its natural habitat. We’ll keep you updated as we continue to investigate this mystery. Have you ever captured a mysterious animal on camera? Share your story in the comments, and let us know what you think this animal is!”
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The Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park Facebook post about the mystery animal has received more than 1,000 comments with people making their guesses.
Among the many animals listed were a mole, a jaguarundi, a badger, a coati, a fisher, a capybara, a young black bear, a river otter, a wild boar, an anteater, a raccoon, a bush dog, a wolverine, a bearkat, a giant water rat, a tapir, a pygmy hippo, a sloth, and, of course, a chupacabra.
The most common answer appears to be a badger, however, as one person commented, “While I can definitely see why the badger vote is so popular, I am more convinced that this is actually a wild River Otter based on a few features seen in the photo. It’s hard to see, but if you look closely at the back end, you can faintly see the shape of the tail which blends in with the background and in my opinion definitely looks to be that of the otter.”
“Wow, if this is a badger or fisher it’s a really big one! Look at this animal’s surroundings,” another wrote about the mystery animal.
“Way too big to be a badger. I mean being from Wisconsin… I’ve seen some lol. They aren’t that big…” someone else commented.
“I’m sorry that doesn’t look like a American Badger. The hair is too short,” claimed another viewer.
The conclusion?
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park believes that it is “very likely an American Badger.”
“While American Badgers are not commonly seen in the valley (partly due to their nocturnal behavior), this is part of their natural range,” park officials wrote.
What do you think the mystery animal is?