The raccoon dog of Japan

Today, after dropping Mona and Andrea off at the Fleet Rec Center for a fitness class, I was driving back home. As I turned the corner, a small animal emerged from the trees on my left. As I came to a stop, the animal crossed the street directly in front of me, climbed a small hill and disappeared into the tress on my right. A man walking had also stopped when the animal appeared. When the animal was no longer in view, he turned to look at me as if to confirm that I had seen the same thing. The reason? The animal was unlike anything I have ever seen - about the size of a small dog, the animal had no hair and walked in a very unusual way - kind of like a Shetland pony. After doing a little research, I think what we saw was a Tanuki - which is also known as a Japanese Raccoon Dog. Very interesting animal - people used to think it was similar to a badger or raccoon. But DNA tests show that it is part of the canine family. The reason for no hair is that they can become susceptible to mange.

This is a sign posted not too far from Yokosuka.
It is a sign letting drivers know that the Tanuki
live in the area.