Texas Woman Asks For Public's Help Identifying Mysterious Animal Caught on Camera Near Her Home
"I was inside, and I looked out into the yard, and I saw an animal right here and thought, 'Wow, what is that?'" Tina Kahlig said of her strange sighting
A Texas woman is asking the public's help to identify a mysterious animal she caught on camera.
Tina Kahlig shared photos of the creature, which she said she took in her neighborhood in Hill Country Village, Texas. She told local news station KENS 5 that she was shocked when she spotted the animal.
"I was inside, and I looked out into the yard, and I saw an animal right here and thought, 'Wow, what is that?'" Kahlig told the outlet.
She said she watched the animal walk around her yard and stop to eat some berries that had fallen from a nearby bush before the mystery critter disappeared.
Soon after, Kahlig posted her photos of the animal on the Next Door app to get her neighbors' input on what it could have been, per United Press International, writing, "Unusual creature in my yard! What is it?"
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"I would love for someone to help me identify it," Kahlig continued. "But I just don't have great photos."
Officials told KENS 5 that there was a local legend about an old mountain lion wandering the area in the Hill Country Village area but that the feline has never been documented.
Several people also appeared to hazard guesses that the creature was cryptid, with many joking that the animal was a "chupacabra" — a folklore creature described as a "fanged beast with red, glowing eyes" by the American Museum of History — Kahlig told the outlet.
She also noted that some people thought the animal looked like a "cross between a coyote and a dog."
Rachel Malstaff, San Antonio Zoo's director of mammals, told KENS 5 that she thought the creature appeared to be a dog or coyote.
Two veterinarians at the zoo also agreed with that theory, adding that it could be a dog with skin issues.
Related: Texas State Park Uncovers Identity of 'Mystery Animal' After Asking Internet for Help
This isn't the first time people in Texas have sought the public's help in identifying a strange animal. In April, the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas, asked its followers for help identifying a "mystery animal" photographed by a park visitor on a game camera.
The photo showed a furry, squat creature on four legs, sniffing at the ground.
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Many animal lovers that replied to the post identified the mystery animal as a badger based on their encounters with the critter.
"Wow, this photo has got a lot of attention! We agree with most of the comments that this is very likely an American Badger (not to be confused with the Honey Badger that lives in Africa and Asia and is rumored to not care very much)," Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park wrote in an update days later.
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