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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)

OP posts:
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17
ColdHandsHotHead · 08/11/2022 19:57

Wild? They're FEWMIN if you catch them.

Noodlekugel · 08/11/2022 20:50

capibara or coypu

Fluffmum · 08/11/2022 20:51

Stoat

notjaneausten · 08/11/2022 20:52

Escaped guinea pig

motormummy · 08/11/2022 20:52

I subscribe to the existence of much bigger than average cats living wild in the Somerset/Wiltshire area. In the last year I’ve managed to get photos of this one, (sooo difficult), seen another in the same area and Most Definitely saw a bigger one up on Salisbury Plain when we had stopped for a drink in a quiet spot and there were no other people about. I’d just stood up to leave and saw it leap across the track and the huge chunky tail disappear into the bushes.

What did we see this afternoon?
What did we see this afternoon?
DeanStockwooooo · 08/11/2022 21:00

I am glad so many people agree with me and know that it is a wild haggis @ColdHandsHotHead is right they are fewmin when they caught and this has to be said no very loud Billy Connolly accent

Ellyess · 08/11/2022 21:16

LynetteScavo · When you said 'A baby boar?' I decided at last to tell of my strange sighting, if that's OK. It was around 9am on the A23 about 3 miles before Handcross when a sweet animal that looked like a huge guinea-pig ran across the road quite close in front of me, left to right. It looked like a guinea-pig, but it was the size of a small pig! It was a light brown. I am convinced it was a capybara, but have no idea why it was there.
For this little creature, I'd love it to be a red squirrel but I'm going for a Bank Vole.

LynetteScavo · 08/11/2022 22:40

I was out on my drive last summer after dark, chatting to a neighbour who was passing. Up the road waddled a little creature, and I couldn't quite figure out what it was. When is finished the conversation and went to look for it, but it was gone. I thought it must be a fat guineapig, until someone pointed out it was probably a hedgehog (I see them in the back garden, but not usually on the pavement) There's usually a boring explanation for these things.

MadMadaMim · 09/11/2022 00:08

Sounds like a gerbil. Loads of little colonies dotted around. Or a chipmunk?

Jillybloop393 · 09/11/2022 00:53

DoIWantThis · 07/11/2022 21:21

It was probably my cousin. He lives in Paulton and he's usually late for everything. He's also very small for his age...

This and 'Bison' ... had me lmao!

Valeriekat · 09/11/2022 07:02

Muntjac Deer...they are very odd looking.

Valeriekat · 09/11/2022 07:03

Black Shuck?

newnamethanks · 09/11/2022 08:57

Hands off the boar piglet pp, you'll be more than sorry if Mum comes looking for it.

HarryBlaster · 09/11/2022 10:30

Could have been a Muntjac Deer. Size of a smallish to medium dog. We see them regularly and they’re smaller than my Labrador and they can really bolt.

Pineappleblueberry · 09/11/2022 11:18

How've so many people seen panthers? There cant be that many around although I do believe they are here as I've seen video footage of 3 neighbours ring doorbells from the same night! I live very rurally but have yet to see one myself.

Fedupofhomeschooling2021 · 09/11/2022 11:35

Do you think it could have been a Capybara. I know I have seen them in Suffolk and Essex but I don't know where Paulton A39 is. but these can move quickly and match the colour. They vary in size because the young are quite small

What did we see this afternoon?
Fedupofhomeschooling2021 · 09/11/2022 11:39

or possibly a Coypu, similar but smaller

What did we see this afternoon?
junglejane66 · 09/11/2022 11:45

Sonic the hedgehog?

CaptainNelson · 09/11/2022 11:55

Muntjac are not the size of a sycamore leaf. We have them everywhere around here and by this time of year, they're all fully grown. Size of a large dog

CaptainNelson · 09/11/2022 11:56

Muntjac grow to about 50cm tall - not a small dog size

theblackradiator · 09/11/2022 11:59

An albino fox? there used to be one near us that we would see occasionally we used to call it the ghost fox.

steppemum · 09/11/2022 12:07

rabbit or a hare.

Pet rabbits hop. But let a rabbit run the length of your garden and it runs, very little hopping at all. And they do binkies (leaps and tumbles)

steppemum · 09/11/2022 12:10
steppemum · 09/11/2022 12:12

watch to the end, the last 2 runs sound like your animal across the road