Click here for previous story on this animal.
PHOTO WITH THIS STORY TAKEN BY KYLA DAWSON OF BLUFFTON.
The story of the mystery beast is quickly becoming one of the most popular stories ever posted on The Ada and Bluffton Icons. The story was posted on Monday evening on Bluffton Icon. Since that posting the Bluffton Icon's facebook notification of the story has reached over 1,450 and that number continues to grow. As of Wednesday afternoon, 1,045 viewers actually clicked on the story.
The story was posted on the Ada Icon on Tuesday. Since that posting on Ada Icon's facebook the story has reached 1,200 and that number also continues to grow. As of Wednesday over 400 viewers actually clicked on the story.
The photo of the animal was taken by Bill Green.
In addition to interest in the story, both Icon's have received many comments on facebook and on the Icon's story comment section.
Here are those comments, and as you can see, the jury is still out on what exact the animal is.
• I saw this animal too! Guessed it was a fox, but the tail wasn't very bushy.
• Chupacabra!
• Hard to tell how big it is. I guess diseased fox.
• LOL big excitement in Bluffton.
• It's probably a sick coyote. We had one of this near our house when I was growing up.
Saw this crossing old 30 and thought it was a coyote ... guess not
.
• Looks like a manged fox. Someone should call game warden. Its a disgusting and miserable disease they get.
• It's a Bluffton Beaver!
• We just saw this on Sunday and I believe it to be a fox, my husband thought a coyote (though obviously neither of us were too sure)... very small coyote if it was he conceded as well. Whatever it was we were outside and very close and it stayed still and then moved on quickly, looked back and just sort of sauntered away then.
• Sarcoptic mange is a very common disease of mammals, being found in both wild and domestic animals. Sarcoptic mange is caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Mites burrow into the outer layer of the skin, forming tunnels into which they deposit several
• It's a fox, but it is emaciated and I am not sure why its tail is not fluffy. Probably call ODNR for the wildlife rescue to come and get it and nurse it back to health.
• We just saw this on Sunday. I say fox, my husband thought coyote, but agreed it would have to be very small. Either way it is nothing to be feared. It stayed still at first hoping it was not seen, then kind moved away from us quickly and stopped and looked back. I think people should just leave it be, unless you want to get it some help for the mange or whatever, make sure it gets a rabies shot?
I'm sticking with fox... watched it walk away then and though I don't recall really ever watching a coyote walking it did look like how a fox does.
• It is a fox! Looks as if it may be a new mother or starving. It doesn't look like it has mange. It just looks starved. Throw it some food or leave it alone so it can hunt in peace.
• Yep, googled fox with mange and it looks like that to me:)
• This is most likely a fox with a severe case of mange and should be killed to prevent it from infecting other animals. Pets can easily pick up mange from wild animals, but they don't have to come into direct contact with an infected animal. If a dog happens to go to the place where this fox was, it could easily pick up the disease. There are treatments for it, but it is hard to treat a wild animal, thus it should be killed.
• Foxes are usually secretive. It is probably a parent out looking for food for its young. Both parents raise their young. I don't think it should be killed. There has to be a way to treat it. Foxes eat mice, birds, and insects.
•
Yeeeeeaaah, this is a fox with mange. Poor thing. :(
•
A sick, malnourished cougar ~ definitely from the cat family. Probably was someone's exotic pet or escaped from a zoo.
• This is a fox with mange! That's kinda common sense! Should be put down..sad really! As usual I'm sure the media would like to make it in to something it's not though.
•
Perhaps, but if so it has an unusually long tail
.
• A fox's tail is usually 3/4 as long as its body, so in this case it is most likely a fox.
• That is weird animal! someone needs to capture it and figure out what it is!
• A member of the 'cat' family with a serious case of mange or other skin problem. Note the tail, the rump which is higher than shoulders and the form of its back legs (made for springing action) the shape of the nose down from cranium. Generally neither a healthy dog nor cat would hold the ears upright but down to the sides in this way. Just my thinking.
• We just saw this on Sunday and I believe it to be a fox, my husband thought a coyote (though obviously neither of us were too sure)... very small coyote if it was he conceded as well. Whatever it was we were outside and very close and it stayed still and then moved on quickly, looked back and just sort of sauntered away then.
• I think it looks most like a starved fox with mange or some other skin condition.
• Looks like red fox with bad case of mange.
• My husband says this is a coyote - probably sick - definitely not a member of the cat family.
• Looks like a fox with mange to me. Just saying.
• It was seen by the bowling alley. It was eating plums that had fallen from the tree looked like a sick fox .
• I've seen it three times now. Track, bowling alley, then across from The Centre. The first time was in June. I have several photos.
