Park Rangers Puzzled After Catching “Mystery Animal” On Trail Camera
One of the best parts of spending time in nature is that you never quite know what you’re going to find. In fact, even seasoned park rangers can run into some puzzling situations, which is what recently happened at the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, Texas.
The 797-acre park boasts the headquarters for the World Birding Center and is beaming with wildlife.
In early April, park rangers came across a photo snapped in the park of a “mystery animal” that left them puzzles.
Authorities shared a photo of the mystery animal on the park’s Facebook page, saying:
“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? 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!”
The picture appeared to be taken after dark and featured an animal of some kind, though its identity was hard to pinpoint. Of course, it wasn’t long before people took to the comments of the post to speculate and the vast majority of people guessed the mystery animal to be a badger!
In an update to the post, the park shared that they agreed that the animal “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).”
They went on to say, “To clarify, this photo was taken by a park visitor and we do not have an exact location where this photo was taken, except it was indeed in the RGV. While American Badgers are not commonly seen in the valley (partly due to their nocturnal behavior), this is part of their natural range.”
