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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What did we see this afternoon?

270 replies

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:25

I have name changed as my other threads had medical things on them and this is completely identifying. I was driving from radstock towards Burlington Combe today at about 4.15 when we were going through some woods (marked with arrow on the map). Something ran ibfront of the car. I say ran but it almost stumbled/tumbled across the road from left to right. I only saw it in the road but my 17 year old Dd saw it then run up the bank in the trees on the right. We have no idea what we saw and the way it moved at first made me think it was a big sycamore leaf but as my DD saw it climb the bank this has been discounted. We have looked at endless photos of British wildlife etc but can't place it. The description is that is was a sandy/pale yellow colour (hence the leaf thought) it was bigger than a hedgehog or a rat but smaller than a hare. It was fast as it past the road between the car in front and mine and then climbed the bank. What on earth could it be?! It is made all the weirder because I saw a creature further along that road a couple of months ago that I can't work out either. Slightly cat like but much bigger and black, this time it was early morning and my Dd was asleep and doesn't believe me. My Dds only solution is that we keep passing through a magical wood (grasping at straws)

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Thread gallery
17
Saucery · 07/11/2022 20:27

Weasel? Ferret?

Oysterbabe · 07/11/2022 20:28

A rabbit.

WhatTheHellIsAQuasar · 07/11/2022 20:28

Weasel or stoat?

Skinnermarink · 07/11/2022 20:28

A stoat, with its winter coat, or an escaped ferret.

neverknowinglyunreasonable · 07/11/2022 20:29

Sounds like a panther. Plenty of sightings in the UK.

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:30

I can't add the map for some reason. It was on the A39 towards Paulton

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Autumnmoonshines · 07/11/2022 20:30

Squirrel. Sandy/grey colour and quick.

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:30

Not a weasel or ferret, it was rounded and stumpy.

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MammaWeasel · 07/11/2022 20:31

Pine marten

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:31

It had no obvious tail so squirrel is ruled out, we have lots around here rubbing across roads so I would recognise that

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Bobblemymind · 07/11/2022 20:32

A wallaby?

AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 07/11/2022 20:32

Weasels are small and skinny, and long, like a toothbrush. Stoats are bigger.

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:32

We had a pet rabbit and she very clearly hopped, this wasn't like a rabbits gait and it wasn't that the animal was injured because it had a hell of a pace on it

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Autumnmoonshines · 07/11/2022 20:32

Very Small fox?

Skinnermarink · 07/11/2022 20:33

A weasel is tiny, basically a furry pencil.

Ubbee · 07/11/2022 20:33

MammaWeasel · 07/11/2022 20:31

Pine marten

Came to say the same!

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:34

It was really small, the fact that I thought it was a very large sycamore leaf blowing over the road at first can give some scale so definitely not a fox. We also have them a lot round here too. We have looked at so many photos and can't get anything that looked like it! I was hoping someone would be local and say 'oh yeah we know that round here it's a ...'

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whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:35

Pine Martin and weasel are too slinky, it was rounder. If we have come across a new species or a magical creature and didn't go back to get it I will be fuming

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LynetteScavo · 07/11/2022 20:35

A baby boar?

GreenSeaGlass · 07/11/2022 20:36

Gremlin.

Autumnmoonshines · 07/11/2022 20:36

A large pale coloured rat?

whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:36

@neverknowinglyunreasonable I feel like it was a big cat, it went across the road from field to field but everyone has told me I was nuts!

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whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:37

Gremlin? Maybe. Tiny wild boar is the closest we could think but do we have wild boar in the West Country? Wallaby definitely not. It didn't hop

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whatwasthiscritter · 07/11/2022 20:38

@Autumnmoonshines do wild rats have the varying colours that pet rats do? I thought they were all brown/black. I didn't think it had a tail though

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daisy46 · 07/11/2022 20:39

A bison. Definitely a bison.