My wife and I saw an animal resembling the one that was described on Pumphouse Road two days ago. We thought it was a small deer at first with the long legs, but it also had a long tail. Could this have been the same animal?

Long legs and long tail sounds like a coyote. They get large here and they're beautiful.

I'll put up a picture in a bit.

I've seen what was represented to me to be a wolf-dog mix that someone had as a pet. It looked a lot like that. At the same time, coyotes have a wide variety of color markings, and live here, so it could be a coyote.

In other words, I've got no idea what it is. Assuming that the same thing can be said about whoever or whatever killed it, I think its safe to say that this has nothing to do with any breed-specific ban.

Who was the TWRA officer? One of our (two) Roane County Wildlife Officers?

Yes the TWRA officer was one of the Roane County guys. Ask him about it if you see him.

Folks had told me they had seen a wolf at various places miles away from where this one got on the bad end of a Beast- vehicle interaction. I had poo'd the sightings, frankly. Now I take it back. They were right...I was wrong, whether is was a full blooded wolf or not.

I'm guessing hybrid, but it is a beauty, even in death. The place where it lies is a deer crossing, and speculation is that it was following a deer and didn't react to a vehicle in time.

I hope there are more of them out there, for some reason.

Look much more like Coyotes, which look like big gray foxes. The Smokies project did not work well. I've seen red wolves on Bull Island in SC.

This isn't one of them.

Thanks to all for making them available as good illustrations (and good education) for this particular discussion.

RB

Curious what everyone thinks of them. They are not native to Tennessee, and have only been here for the last twenty years or so. To some extent, they are displacing red foxes, which are native. Are they a good thing or a bad thing?

Bad thing, but inevitable.

They keep us awake at night with all the yipping.

Now...as to the beast in question...The ears plainly say it is NOT a coyote or Red wolf. The tail had no curl whatsoever so feral Malamute or husky is probably out except for a hybrid. The front paws were almost twice as large as the back feet so I lean wolf hybrid. The head was wolfish not dogish in the eye set also. The only doglike feature is the marking on the muzzle. Wolves usually have no distinct marking like the lines running down to the nose.

I only wish it were still running...alive.

Hey, just a thought (always scary!) has anyone done a role call at Tiger Haven? Not wanting to cause a scare or anything, because they do a great job up there, but they had a few the last I heard.

Wylamena

This beast looks like a released hybrid to me.

Where did it come from?

Dayton? (Scroll down about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down)

The outward sweeping bristled hair on the jaws look like wolf along with the long legs. It very easily could be a wolf or wolf-hybrid that someone had in captivity and kicked out when they got tired of it. Stanger things have happened in Roane. One of the Lions at Tiger Haven came from a local motel in Harriman that someone had as they were "passing through". Things come into the state illegally more than we know or would like to admit. Just look at the big "snake roundup" last summer (TWRA Operation "Striking Distance"). Who would've thought that we'd ever find Cobra(s), Gabboon(SP?) Viper(s), etc. in Tennessee? And the way the crow flies or the "dog trots", wasn't this found close to the Interstate?

... And the way the crow flies or the "dog trots", wasn't this CANINE found close to the Interstate? Bill (respectfully retired/now deceased TWRA officer) once told me that a moose had been killed in Roane Co. (Yes, a moose!) It had been brought into the state/area illegally and had escaped its captures and was shot in a guys front yard.
Did you ever think that one of the largest bull elk in the state would be hanging out around Buttermilk Road? It's not there now (relocated), but it was at one time.

I 40 is about a mile from this spot.

I have been listening to folks tell of seeing a "wolf" for several years now, though. I don't think this is the only one out there. Time will tell.

And yes, I also knew about the Bull Elk, although I thought it had been killed. I hope you are right about the relocation.

I've dealt with cobras, gaboon vipers, and such myself, so I would be surprised if they are NOT being kept in Tennessee. I don't care for the cobras but most of the vipers are absolutely beautiful and are fairly easy to keep safely. In my zookeeping days, though, I remember a meatcleaver that hung near the tiger snake cage with a sign that said, "Save lives, not limbs." These animals are not to be taken lightly, and it is probably best that they stay in zoos and permitted keeper facilities these days.

Talked to the Wildlife Officer this morning (he was in Court for someone he allegedly caught spotlighting deer). The beast was, in his estimation, a mix between a coyote and a Siberian Huskey, which he says is extremely rare. He estimated it at over 100 lbs, and maybe as much as 120. He is going to send me some pictures.

No doubt about it .. I'm def saying that's a wolf! It's just way too big to be some coyote mix or dog mix .. The ears def say wolf paws as well .. My old Biology teacher used to raise wolves and keep them as pets and brought them to school quite ofetn for lessons and for fun .. That is def a wolf!

I'm sticking with hybrid, more because of the facial marking than anything else, but I think wolf not coyote. Several folks have told me of wolf hybrids being raised by several folks in our area, including Tiger Haven.

The paws are a dead match for the wolf examples I can find, particularly the front paw pads. The back pad on the front paw is distinctive in wolves. But there is a problem in relying on this, in that you never know what you'll get with a hybrid.

Fun Reading

I own a wolf hybrid, he is part artic, timber, and husky. The picture is an almost exact of my hybrid, it seems to be a very high content hybrid like mine with the straight tail, almond shaped eyes, feet, legs etc. That is definately not a coyote and huskie mix. I bet someone owned it and could not control the hybrid and released him.

I agree with DavidD. I have a Grey Wolf/Husky Hybrid. She is all white so I'm not 100% on the facial markings, but form what I have seen at breeders this looks and sounds like a hybrid. My dog looks exactly like a wolf, but when I had her DNA tested she is actually only about 75% grey wolf. There is a pretty big market for wolf hybrids and I know of one breeder in Tennesse. If you could get a blood sample (and wanna spend about $50) there are several organizations that can test it and tell you exactly what it is.

Hello, this is the first site I found where many of you could help me - hopefully people still check this article. I rescued two dogs the other day who were running chaotically through the main street in my neighborhood. These two ran alongside each other, and do not leave each other's side. No one has claimed the dogs yet, I've put out fliers and have my name at every shelter in the area. Are they part coyote/wolf/dog? Their behavior is very strange, they are friendly to me but do not like other dogs or other people. At first I thought they were huskies, but after research I'm begging to differ. Help!

No way to say for sure about the yellow eyed dog but the blue eyed dog is definitely all dog. The feet of the yellow eyed one don't look right for wolf hybrid and the legs are just too short. A curled up tail would be conclusive that they are all dog.

I appreciate your help. I live in West Texas, and it's rare to see dogs like this in these parts so I was worried the brown one may be a coyote-mix. He has all of the markings, including the long bushy black-tipped tail, but he's a sweet dog. I'm afraid that when I give them to the ASPCA they will deem them not adoptable and put them to sleep. I have an odd feeling the "owner" of these two dogs let them go on purpose, they are a bit unruly, not housebroken, and not socialized with other dogs or people. My Samoyed doesn't even like them - poor dogs. Any suggestions?