By Tim Binnall
A photographer in Brazil captured an eerie video of a wondrous creature that has drawn comparisons to a werewolf, but is actually an animal native to the area. According to a local media report, Flavia Tasso filmed the remarkable footage (featured above) on Monday evening in the massive tropical wetland known as the Pantanal. Stepping outside to get a better Wi-Fi signal, she was stunned to see the canine-looking animal with seemingly inordinately long legs and glowing eyes walking along a path. After she shared the spooky scene on social media, the video quickly went viral with many viewers likening the creature to a werewolf. However, the photographer stressed that the amazing animal is a genuine denizen of the region.
"That’s why legends are invented," she mused, "it might seem supernatural, but it’s just a magnificent specimen of Brazilian wildlife." To that end, the 'monster' captured in the video is a Chrysocyon brachyurus, or maned wolf, which is something of a misnomer, as it is a unique species unrelated to canines or foxes, despite bearing an uncanny resemblance to them. Its long legs are thought to be beneficial for navigating the tall grass of the wetland region where it roams, and the eye shine is likely just a reflection of the camera light. While the creature may not have been supernatural, the almost-magical nature of the encounter was not lost on Tasso, who marveled, "you never know what can happen when you just walk out the door."