‘Mystery animal’ caught on camera in Rio Grande Valley leaves park officials scratching their heads
- Authorities caught an unidentified animal on night camera in Texas
- Hundreds of social media users guessed what it could be – including ‘bear’
A shot of a mysterious animal has baffled officials and locals after it was spotted in a Texas park.
Authorities at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, in Texas Parks and Wildlife, posted a photo of the beast to social media — asking for help identifying it.
The small four-legged animal can be seen sniffing the ground near a tree, after being captured on a night-time camera.
The park said on Facebook: ‘Captured on game cam – a mysterious animal lurks in the Rio Grande Valley! “
We’re scratching our heads trying to identify this elusive creature. Is it a new type? Run away from a nearby zoo? Or just a park ranger in disguise?
The small four-legged animal can be seen sniffing the ground near a tree, after being captured on a night-time camera
Regardless, it is exciting to see such an amazing animal in its natural habitat. We’ll keep you posted as we continue to investigate this mystery.
Have you ever caught a mysterious animal on camera? Share your story in the comments, and tell us what you think about this animal! “
The post attracted hundreds of comments from people guessing what the animal might be – with some ideas closer to the mark than others.
One guessed it was a “bear” but if not, then surely a “disguised park ranger,” while another added that it was “a good average for the size of a Texas.”
Anther said “capybara?” , before adding a third: “How about a picture of a deer in the same spot so we can get some scale context.”
But after a few days of speculation, park officials unveiled what they believed the animal was – an American Badger.
The post attracted hundreds of comments from people guessing what the animal might be – with some ideas closer to the mark than others
In an updated post they said: ‘Wow, this photo has gotten a lot of attention! We agree with most of the comments that this is very likely to be an American Badger’
Authorities at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, in Texas Parks and Wildlife, posted a photo of the beast to social media — asking for help identifying it.
In an updated post, they said: “Wow, this photo has gotten so much attention! We agree with most of the comments that this is very likely to be an American Badger.
It should not be confused with the honey badger that lives in Africa and Asia and is rumored to care little.
To be clear, this photo was taken by a visitor to the park and we don’t have an exact location where this photo was taken, except that it was actually at the RGV.
While American marmots are not commonly seen in the valley (in part because of their nocturnal behavior), this is part of their natural range.
It is unclear where exactly the photo was taken in the Rio Grande Valley.
