Wolf-dog hybrid in northern Minnesota? Researchers share footage of unusual animal

There's something unusual wandering Minnesota's northwoods — a canine that might very well be a cross between a wolf and a domestic dog.

In an August 20 Facebook post, the Voyageurs Wolf Project — a University of Minnesota research group that studies wolves in and around the Voyageurs National Park — shared some interesting trail camera footage it collected over the winter:

"This was one of the stranger observations we had this winter..." the post says. "A wolf-like, dog-like canid of sorts roaming the area. It sort of looks like a mix between a wolf and a malamute or something."

The group says they spotted the animal "all across the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem" upwards of 10 times through March 20; it was traveling solo for most of those instances, but was twice observed with "actual adult wolves."

Researches are scratching their heads as to what, exactly, this animal is, theorizing that its unusual coloring could be the result of a genetic mutation:

"Notably, we have never seen a 'wolf' that looks like this but we suspect that either this canid is a wolf with some strange mutation that makes it super fluffy and extra large (seems unlikely but trying to think through the options)…or it is a wolf-dog hybrid."

- Voyageurs Wolf Project

Acknowledging that this theory is unlikely, the Voyageurs Wolf Project says that if the canine is indeed a wolf-dog hybrid, it was "most likely" released into the wild or escaped from captivity — as there's "no evidence that wolves are breeding with dogs in our area..."

As the International Wolf Center notes , the breeding of wolf-dog hybrids — a.k.a. "wolfdogs" — is a contentious issue, as the animals can be unpredictable and come with unique challenges.

The organization says this results in many wolfdogs being "abandoned, rescued, or euthanized because people purchase an animal they were not prepared to care for."

You can learn more about the issues surrounding wolf-dog hybrids right here.