Texas State Park Uncovers Identity of 'Mystery Animal' After Asking Internet for Help
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas, asked its Facebook followers to identify a curious critter in a game camera photo submitted by a park visitor
Somewhere in the wilds of Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas, lurks an animal that left rangers scratching their heads.
On April 8, the Texas state park posted on Facebook asking its followers for help identifying a "mystery animal" photographed by a park visitor on a game camera.
"Captured on game camera - a mystery animal lurking in the Rio Grande Valley! 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?" the park wrote on Facebook alongside the photo.
The shot shows a furry, squat creature on four legs, sniffing at the ground. The photo is black and white and was captured at night.
"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!" Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park continued on social media.
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Over 1,500 people responded to the park's query, sending back responses that ranged from silly to serious.
"A good ol' Texas size rat," wrote one Facebook commenter submitted as their gust.
But many animal lovers that replied identified the mystery animal as a badger based on their encounters with the critter.
After the responses poured in, the Texas park updated its original Facebook post.
"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 its update.
American badgers can be found from Canada to Mexico, including in Texas.
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Texas Parks and Wildlife described the American badger as "a short-legged, wide-bodied, shaggy-furred member of the weasel family" that helps "control rodent populations."
"While American Badgers are not commonly seen in the valley (partly due to their nocturnal behavior), this is part of their natural range," the Texas park added online.
This badger isn't the only critter causing animal rescuers to take pause. Toast the puppy at first confused her rescuers, who found the little canine by a dumpster in Dallas.
Officers from the Dallas Police Department found the caramel-colored pup huddled near a dumpster during a patrol duty in February. While rescuers agreed the animal was cute, they couldn't decide if the pup was a dog or a coyote.
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Dallas Animal Services took Toast in and set up a DNA test to solve the mystery. The test results came in on March 12, with the animal shelter posting on Facebook that "Toast is a DOG."
"As we suspected, she turned out to be a beautiful little mutt," Dallas Animal Services added.
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