Zoo Experts Stumped by ‘Mysterious Creature’ on Night Cam

Zoo experts have been left baffled by images of a mysterious “winged and horned” creature caught on its night vision camera.

The bewildering creature was spotted on a night vision camera at Bristol Zoo Project’s Bear Wood habitat in Bristol, U.K. earlier this month.

Bristol Zoological Society’s Conservation team camera came across the image of the peculiar animal when looking through footage from camera traps set up in the habitat where bears and wolves live alongside wolverines and lynx.

The camera traps are used by Bristol Zoological Society’s conservation team to survey and monitor species of all sizes that inhabit Bear Wood’s 7.5 acres of ancient woodland.

Experts say that the strange animal has been spotted on the camera traps on other occasions but it has been impossible to identify the species.

In images captured on the night vision camera on October 1, the creature seems to have four legs. It also appears to be winged and horned.

‘This Mythical-like Creature is a Mystery’

As the identity of the creature has left animal experts confused, the Bristol Zoo Project are now asking for help from social media users.

In a Facebook post, the Bristol Zoo Project has included a photo of a similar-looking muntjac deer in the daylight so viewers could compare the deer with the mystery animal.

“Our conservation team uses camera traps to survey the ancient woodland on our site. Here, you can see a familiar muntjac deer alongside a creature that has us just a little stumped,” the Bristol Zoo Project writes in the Facebook post.

Muntjac deer are small species of deer native to Southeast Asia that grow short antlers that resemble horns.

“The sighting of this mythical-like creature is a mystery to us here at Bristol Zoo Project,” Rosie Sims, Public Engagement Manager at Bristol Zoo Project, says in a statement.

“Scotland has the Loch Ness monster and Cornwall has the Beast of Bodmin Moor.

“Have we discovered a similar mythical here in Bristol perhaps?”

Last year, Texas Parks and Wildlife officials were equally puzzled by a “mystery animal” caught on a game camera in the Rio Grande Valley.

 
Image credits: All photos via Bristol Zoo Project.