A Texas man was driving near Canyon Lake in Comal County when he spotted a creature that he couldn’t immediately recognize. Turns out, it may have been a rare and threatened species.
In a video he posted to TikTok, creator James (@jamesdad1890) shows a small furry animal with a tail similar to a raccoon, but with a pointier snout.
“I’m out here off FM2673, and I’ve spent a lot of time in the Hill Country, but I’ve never seen one of these,” he says in the clip. “I don’t know what this poor guy is. He’s somebody’s animal.”
“Google says it’s a Coati,” he wrote in the video’s text overlay. “Native to South America, Mexico and Southwestern U.S.”
Commenters Try To Guess The Species
“It’s a ringtail cat!!” one user wrote. “I’m in Hill country and I have 1 living in my shop!!! They are so cool…”
“Coati, I have seen them in Cancun, they are chill,” guessed another.
“I think you found a Pokemon,” a third joked.
What Are Coatimundis?
The small, furry creature is a small mammal closely resembling raccoons. It’s got a pointy muzzle, a long, fluffy ringed tail, and reddish brown fur.
It is most likely a coati, also known as coatimundi, red-tailed coatimundi, white-nosed coatimundi, ring-tailed coatimundi, or quash.
The animal is native to Arizona, Texas, and some parts of New Mexico in the United States. Outside of the U.S., they’re native throughout Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America.
According to National Geographic, coatis are highly adaptable when it comes to their habitat and can live in rainforests, grasslands, or even mountain slopes.
However, the animal is considered “an endangered and threatened species” in Texas due to factors such as humans hunting them for meat and fur, as well as conflicts with farmers when they prey upon chickens and other livestock. Some people also keep them as pets.
While it is possible to keep a coati as a pet, The Spruce Pets warns that it requires much more work than a cat or dog. It needs a strict diet of fruits, carbohydrates, and insects, as well as a large habitat that accommodates their high energy levels.
What Happened To The Coati?
While BroBible can’t confirm this is the same animal, a nearby report from around the same time as James’ sighting suggests authorities returned it to its owners.
As reported by CW39, a Houston publication, a coatimundi was found on Highway 46 in Vintage Oaks, Comal County, which is not too far from FM2673. “The owners have been located and are reunited with the pet,” CW39 wrote.
@jamesdad1890 Was out driving today near Canyon Lake in Texas and saw this guy. It’s a Coati.
BroBible has reached out to James via TikTok messages for comment and further information.