Nature is evolving.
Though the Voyageur Wolf Project out of Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota is hesitant to confirm that the animal they captured video of is some sort of natural cross breed, they can’t exactly rule it out. So they did something dangerous, taking the video to social media to ask what people online thought:
“We know social media loves a good mysterious canine story, so check out this animal we got on camera last winter. So, what do you think this animal is? We whole-heartedly welcome outlandish speculation, conspiracy theories, and technically possible though highly-improbable explanations.”
Welcoming conspiracy theories, eh?
As you’ll see in the video below, the wild creature that was caught on a Voyageur Wolf Project trail camera exhibits some confusing features. It definitely has the body of a wolf, but the snout and face looks a whole lot like that of a coyote. Throw in the dog-like-ears that the animal possesses and you’ve really got a naturally-occurring-mystery.
The Voyageur Wolf Project did their best to explain what all they saw in the animal:
“To us, the animal looks ‘coyote-esque’ but has some dog-like aspects to its appearance (especially its ears), and possibly some wolf-like characteristics (e.g., robust snout, a bit bigger body than coyotes in our area…but these are attributes from some dogs as well). Perhaps it is the elusive “woyote dog” – a rare hybrid of all 3 canids!? That’s a joke, of course.
In many respects, the animal looks more like eastern coyotes that live in eastern North America but still the ears just look real funny to us. Either way, we only got one observation of this animal so it was likely just moving through the area.”
I think we should move forward calling it a “Woyote Dog.” That feels right. But you can take a look at the video for yourself and see what you think:
Somewhere out there, a coyote, dog and/or a wolf have a lot of explaining to do.
And remember how the Voyageur Wolf Project invited those on social media to voice their guesses, conspiracies, and outlandish theories about how this animal came to be?
Let me be the first to tell you that they did not disappoint with their replies to the post:
Lupis conundrumus!
— aninkydarkness (@thedeadlything) November 6, 2024
The ears , snout, & body look Malamute or Chow to me, my guess it’s a hybrid. Part Wolf, part whatever the wolf mated with, or was mated with. 🤔
— LS (Hutch) (@TheHutchGal) November 5, 2024
It’s sad when humans can’t make an identification of a textbook Yotedoodle.
— Jack Humphrey #Rewilding Half Earth (@jackhumphrey) November 5, 2024
I believe this is a North American Cutie Patootie
— Very Bitey Di 🐕🦺 (@LoneStarDi) November 5, 2024
Coywolf with adorable, super-fuzzy, rounded ears that make you want to hug and kiss and snuggle the cute baby and welcome it onto the couch? There will be treats and belly rubs.
— Kristen Zambo (@KristenZambo) November 7, 2024
