Help identifying an animal

[Suffolkmaid]

I was wondering if anybody could throw some light on an animal I saw today whilst walking the dogs. I live in Suffolk and was walking through woodlands when the dogs flushed an animal out from the undergrowth not too far from a weir. It had a face not unlike a pine marten.By that i mean it had round teddybear like ears , a pointed face and a button nose. It was dark in colour, almost black, and was the size of a small dog. It literally ran straight passed me so I got a good look at it. My first thought was that it might be a baby muntjac, but as it past me I saw that it had the most enormous long bushy tail, almost as long as its body length. The noise it made as it ran gave me the impression it had hard feet/hooves. It was definitely not a fox. Have to say, I've never seen anything like it!
Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[faz]

hi welcome to WAB if it had a long bushy tail its not a deer rest of you description my first thought as a mink? but mink do not have hooves but im going with my gut reaction mink for me

[Suffolkmaid]

Thank you for your welcome. It had quite long legs for its size and a rounded bottom. I've just remembered what it's face reminded me of - a womble!

[fairplay]

Don't forget to report this to the Suffolk Wildlife Trust who will pass this on to the mammal recorder - although I doubt she will be able to add anything to the database as what you saw seems to have a bit of everything.

Neil.

[King Edward]

I think Neil has got it - undoubtably an escaped chimera (new county record and all). Did you happen to notice if it was breathing fire?

If it wasn't that, mink sounds reasonable. Was it quite long-bodied, like a stoat/weasel?

[Suffolkmaid]

I did say I'd never seen anything like it! it had quite a rounded body and my initial thought was a baby muntjak. then I saw that it ad very rounded ears and as it ran past the long bushy tail. maybe it was a muntjak wth a freak of nature tail! It was the strangest thing I have ever seen

[Jim Ford]

It's a Small-Big Cat!

;^)

Jim

[Dogghound]

What colour was its tail? Did it have any markings?

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

What colour was its tail? Did it have any markings?

If it had big numbers on its back, it could have been one of these new Police Drones they are flirting with.

Neil.

[shenk1]

Bushy tail,hooves, rounded body,face like a womble

Sounds like some of the women that frequent my local