What did we see this afternoon?

[whatwasthiscritter]

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)

Chinese water deer or muntjac.

The muntjac, along with the grey squirrel, was made subject to the Invasive Alien Species Order 2019:
www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/invasive-alien-species-order-2019/

I have no idea but I have seen my cat chase something exactly the colour you describe. It appeared to be some form of rodent.

id have said stoat

I think Coypu too. They are stubby and brownish.
As for the.big cat - my Gunmetal-coloured Neopolitan mastiff (like Fang from Harry Potter) was often mistaken for one when seen sideways on from a distance.

River rat?

Oh damn I thought it may have been Danny Dog ... as you were

Coypu? Supposed to be eradicated but who knows x

That was my first thought!

Eh? You said no tail initially OP. Now you're saying it has a tail? Size of a large dog now too, when initially you confused it with a leaf? Bullshit-ometer alarm has gone off.

Perhaps you should read the op properly then, she’s describing two different sightings

I vote wild boar piglet too

Apologies. Its a bit early. I'll shut up now.

Muntjac height .44 to .52 m high so a young one would be quite small.

It's actually making me laugh how many people haven't read the op properly, and think they are being funny or pointing out someone else's mistake when actually...

Aslan.

Wendigo or Skin Crawler?

Wait - was this the OP that saw the goat-human some weeks back - complete with drawings? Think we need another picture 😁

That's a baby musk ox

It wasn't a leaf as I have been back past today and there are no trees with big leaves (clearly I'm not a botanist though). I have attached pictures of the roads where we saw 'it' the first 2 pictures are the road the little thing ran across and up the bank (2nd photo) and the 3rd is the part of the road where I saw the cat like creature. We went slowly past today but saw nothing. I doubt we will ever see anything again, as anyone who lives near here knows there is a free roaming herd of goats and herd of cattle in Burrington Coombe and I travel through it 4 times a day on weekdays and see the cows maybe once a month do the chance of seeing one tiny creature in a wooded area again is infinitesimal. Thank you for your ideas of what it might have been though

Also my DD took the photos. No laws broken

Ah thank you.

I’ll try again!

BABBY BISON!

Did you check out Water Vole?

I think baby boar, they're pretty tiny and can run fast. They're also ridiculously cute and I want one

@Pinkywoo we are leaning towards boar too and are gutted we didn't take the opportunity to get a new piggy pet