Mystery animal captured in China

[Nostalgic]

From The Times
April 6, 2010

‘Oriental yeti’ that looks like a bear without fur shipped for tests



A bizarre creature, dubbed the “oriental yeti”, has baffled scientists after emerging from ancient woodlands in remote central China.

The hairless beast was trapped by hunters in Sichuan province after locals reported spotting what they thought was a bear.

One hunter, Lu Chin, said: “It looks a bit like a bear but it doesn’t have any fur and it has a tail like a kangaroo.

“It also does not sound like a bear — it has a voice like a cat and it is calling all the time — perhaps it is looking for the rest of its kind or maybe it's the last one.

"There are local legends of a bear that used to be a man and some people think that’s what we caught," he added.

Now stumped local animal experts have shipped the mystery beast to scientists in Beijing for DNA tests.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/biology_evolution/article7088318.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797093

[Hannah Bell]

1. i think it has mange. the shape looks like an animal i've seen before, but with mange.

kinda like this bear with mange:

[mainer]

8. the kangaroo tail and catlike wail is stumping me, though

otherwise, it really does look like a bear with mange.

[KittyWampus]

16. someone posted in the other thread a picture of a red panda- looks right to me

?w=346&h=249

[mainer]

22. That would explain the tail!

That photo makes you want to wrap it up in blankets, hug it, and feed it a bottle of warm milk.

[a la izquierda]

13. I was thinking the same thing

poor guy, he's probably miserable. When we found our dog, abandoned in the woods, he had horrible mange (read, no fur). He was so miserably uncomfortable.

[eShirl]

2. Rodent Of Unusual Size?

[TransitJohn]

3. I don't think they exist.

:hide:

[ProdigalJunkMail]

7. awesome.... n/t

[SidDithers]

18. Well done...nt

Sid

[MattBaggins]

10. It's ManBearPig

Half man.. Half Bear... Half pig

wooooooshhhh

[NeedleCast]

21. Win!

[Dr.Phool]

17. Ann Coulter after a night of drinking.

[Quantess]

4. Not exactly a beauty queen.

[shellgame26]

5. wtf

[SoCalDem]

6. Oscar?

:rofl:


seriously though.. It looks like some poor ill animal:cry:

I hope they don't kill it to "study" it

[redwitch]

11. First thing I thought of!

I do miss Oscar threads, when is the book coming out????

[MattBaggins]

9. Doctor Moreau.. Paging Doctor Moreau

[nc4bo]

14. Is the vicinity unusually polluted I wonder?

Yuck-yuck poor thing's now in a cage probably angry, terrified and feeling alone.

[JCMach1]

12. Poor 'beast' has the mange

:(

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. It reminds me of a hyena.

[SidDithers]

19. Chupacabra?...

:)

I agree with other posters, it'll be found to be some common animal with mange.

Sid

[Tailormyst]

20. Red panda with mange. DNA should clear things up quickly.