Wolf-Like Creature Killed on Montana Ranch - What is This?

We’ve had several stories lately about bizarre looking sea creatures washing ashore all around the globe from the Philippines to New Jersey. Today, this story comes to us from Denton, Montana where a bizarre looking creature was shot and killed on a ranch there.

Great Falls Tribune From the Great Falls Tribune: On May 16 a lone wolf-like animal was shot and killed on a ranch outside Denton. With long grayish fur, a large head and an extended snout, the animal shared many of the same characteristics as a wolf; but its ears were too large, it’s legs and body too short, its fur uncharacteristic of that common to a wolf. So what was it? At this point, no one is 100 percent sure.

Great Falls Tribune “We have no idea what this was until we get a DNA report back,” said Bruce Auchly, information manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “It was near a rancher’s place, it was shot, and our game wardens went to investigate. The whole animal was sent to our lab in Bozeman. That’s the last I ever heard of it.” Naturally, social media lit up with local residents weighing in on what they thought the strange creature was. One person guessed that it was a young, starving grizzly cub, while another speculated that it might be a dire wolf, a prehistoric species of wolf now believed to be extinct. The comment that got the most attention, however, was the one that speculated that this was the mythical Dogman.

Dire Wolf - Flickr Again from the Great Falls Tribune: “That could very well be what’s being called Dogman,” one poster suggested. “They’re spotted each day and the government quells any and all reports. Several people report being strong armed into keeping quiet about their reports by men wearing black suits. These are just facts. Look into if if you don’t believe it.” Auchly doesn’t. “First off (dire wolf) was a song by the Grateful Dead from 1971,” he said of the prehistoric species speculation. “I know; I listened to it many times. Number two, it’s a prehistoric animal, like mastodons and saber toothed tigers; so it doesn’t exist.” As for the Dogman theory; there’s a regular Friday night YouTube broadcast called “Dogman Encounters” for those who wish to follow up on that line of thought. It comes on right after “Bigfoot Eyewitness” radio.

DogmanEncounters.com Nonetheless, there remains an element of uncertainty about the creature, even among wildlife biologists. The best guess so far is that it is some sort of wolf-dog hybrid. What do you think this is?