Indiana woman's dog pulls strange creature from pool: A 7-inch hairless, bloated groundhog – USA TODAY
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – A curious Indiana resident reached out on social media for help after finding the body of a strange-looking bloated and hairless animal in her backyard.
Michelle Havlik’s dog pulled the creature, about 7 inches long, out of a pool. She posted a picture of the animal, which appeared to be a cross between a pig and squirrel, to social media and asked if anyone could identify it.
There was no shortage of responses – more than 200 – on the Noblesville Chatter UNCENSORED page. Many people said it was a guinea pig, squirrel, baby boar or muskrat.
Some identified it as a Chupacabra, a legendary bloodsucking creature in Puerto Rico.
One poster said it was an “alien experiment.” But most people said it looked like a common groundhog.
Not content to rely solely on social media, Havlik also contacted the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. But there was a snag.
After Havlik took a picture of the creature, she went inside to get a bag for it. When she came back it was gone.
What’s everyone talking about?Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
In Pennsylvania:Man dies after being strangled by 18-foot-long pet snake killed by police, authorities say
Still, a few hours later, wildlife officials gave Havlik her answer: It was a groundhog that was bloated and distorted from being submerged in water.
That finding didn’t satisfy everyone, Havlik said.
“People are still saying it’s something different than what it is,” she said. “It’s amazing.”
As for the creature’s disappearing act, wildlife officials told Havlik a vulture probably swooped down and nabbed it.
