Mystery animal caught on camera in Texas neighborhood

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A Texas woman is seeking help identifying a mystery animal she caught on camera in her neighborhood.

Tina Kahlig said she quickly moved to snap pictures when she looked out from her Hill Country Village home and spotted something that left her stumped.

"I was inside and I looked out into the yard," Kahlig told KENS-TV. "And I saw an animal right here and thought, 'Wow, what is that?'"

She said the creature was feasting on berries that had fallen from a bush.

Kahlig posted her photos to NextDoor, where neighbors offered their own theories, including several suggestions that she found the mythical "chupacabra."

"Some people think it's a cross between a coyote and a dog," she said.

Local legend has it that a mountain lion lives near Hill Country Village, but city officials said it has never been caught on camera.

The City of Hill Country Village said officials have reached out to the Texas Game Wardens for help identifying the animal.

Rachel Malstaff, director of mammals at the San Antonio Zoo, said the animal in the photos could be a coyote or a dog. Zoo veterinarians said it appears to be a canine with mange or other skin issues.

Texas Parks and Wildlife officials had a creature conundrum of their own in April, when a trail camera in the Rio Grande Valley captured an image of a mystery animal officials found difficult to identify.