The Mystery Animal Baffling and Terrifying Texas Residents

A mysterious wild animal caught on camera is befuddling residents of a Texas town just outside of San Antonio.

Tina Kahlig captured the critter on video after she spotted it roaming outside of her Hill Country Village residence. As it furiously ate berries from one of her bushes, Kahlig snapped photo after photo. “I was inside and I looked out into the yard,” Kahlig recounted to KENS5. “And I saw an animal right here and thought, ‘Wow, what is that?’”

Kahlig took to Nextdoor and shared her pictures with other locals. It didn’t take long for theories to run wild. Some commenters posited that it was a coyote or even a domestic canine with mange issues. Others think it’s a crossbred coyote and dog. However, many believe it to be the mythical creature known as the chupacabra. The chupacabra is thought to be a large, reptilian creature about the size of a bear cub, with a row of spines stretching from its neck to its tail.

Kahlig laughed off the more eccentric speculations, but did say she was still seeking to identify the animal. Rachel Malstaff, the San Antonio Zoo’s director of mammals, was fairly certain upon seeing the pictures that the animal was a coyote or a dog suffering from a skin disorder. Two veterinarians with the zoo concurred.

A recurrent theme brought up by those trying to identify the berry thief was a local legend concerning an elderly mountain lion. According to lore, it stalks Hill Country Village for prey. However, much like the chupacabra, the creature has never had a confirmed sighting.

Hill Country Village officials have reached out to Texas Game Wardens to assist in identifying the animal.