Mystery Predator

[T_Dog]

Yesterday my wife and I were doing some exploring about an hour north of Chiang Mai and were on a rough dirt hill tribe track in the foot hills. Suddenly a rabbit came blazing onto the road right ahead of us, and a few yards behind it was this odd creature in hot pursuit. Like a scene out of a nature movie, the rabbit was jinking left and right to lose the predator.

The animal chasing the rabbit was just slightly larger than the rabbit and had a tuft of tail sticking straight up. It was stocky, almost like a wild boar, but I don't think boars run that small nor eat rabbit. It was not a dog, cat, bobcat, or anything else I can think of.

If anyone has any idea what this was, please post away. The rabbit got away and my wife got a good like at the critter, but she has no idea what it was either. (I was too busy avoiding ruts to get another good look at it.) If I can find a photo of whatever it was, I am sure she could confirm it.

[Crossy]

There's a list of Thai fauna here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_species_native_to_Thailand many pictures.

I'd suggest he could have been one of the civet species that live here, possibly a Large Indian Civet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Indian_Civet

[T_Dog]

Thanks Crossy, and I think you may have hit it. The tail doesn't quite match, but who knows how they hold them when they are in a chase. Did not know we had these critters up here.

[mataus101]

it was probably an Australian drop bear that was smuggled into the country, if they dont get vegemite they will resort to other foods

[T_Dog]

it was probably an Australian drop bear that was smuggled into the country, if they dont get vegemite they will resort to other foods

I thought they were an endangered species because they did eat vegemite!

[Scully]

There are wild boars around our mountain and they will eat practically everything. Tell one of the locals and I can guarantee they will be up there with a shot gun looking for some nice fresh boar meat.

It's a good job it wasn't chasing you though

[mataus101]

boars will eat each other if one is hurt. eat anything.

[T_Dog]

There are wild boars around our mountain and they will eat practically everything. Tell one of the locals and I can guarantee they will be up there with a shot gun looking for some nice fresh boar meat.

It's a good job it wasn't chasing you though

The jury is still out and my wife and I think it was more "boar-like" than civet-like. I showed her the civet images on the links Crossy provided and she did not think that was it. (She got a very good look at it.) We often see black Mongoose and it did not resemble them at all. Do you think a wild boar would be a pursuit carnivore?

[mataus101]

maybe it was chasing it for other purposes, have been chased in australia and they had no intention of eating me, i was just to close

[T_Dog]

Mystery solved we think after looking at some images prompted by Mataus101. Pretty sure this is what it was. Now.. What was it doing chasing a rabbit?

[impulse]

Maybe they were both being chased and the rabbit was faster.....

[geriatrickid]

Mystery solved we think after looking at some images prompted by Mataus101. Pretty sure this is what it was. Now.. What was it doing chasing a rabbit?

Rabbit may have gotten to close to young'uns? or or if a male, territorial zeal in mating season.