The Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in the US state of Texas covers 310 hectares and is best known for its overwhelming abundance of bird species. Consequently, the World Birding Center has its headquarters in the extensive area with beautiful ebony trees.

Mysterious four-legged park dweller

However, an April 6 post from the park on Facebook did not focus on birding of the nearly 360 species. It was about the snapshot of a wildlife camera that a park visitor had taken and sent to the park administration. A photo of the mysterious animal reads: “We’re racking our brains trying to identify this strange creature.”

Please help Facebook users

It is not without humor that they consider whether it could be a new species or an animal that escaped from a nearby zoo. Or – even better – whether it was “just a disguised park ranger”. The park administration promises to investigate the matter further and to keep all interested parties up to date and asks for useful tips and guesses as to what kind of animal it could be.

Further explanation

The Bentsen Park Facebook post also says that because it’s a visitor’s photo, it’s not exactly clear where and when it was taken. What is certain is that it was inside the park.

Lots of resonance

Neither beavers nor otters or capybaras: Ultimately, the park employees – like many commentators – assume that it “very likely” could be a silver badger. Although this species is rarely seen in the park, this is also due to its nocturnal behavior. Nevertheless, this is where their natural range is located.