Photo Special to the Sun by Mac McMurray

Unusual Animal Photographed In Del Rio Area

The animal shown above, which resembles a raccoon except that it has a white head, was photographed recently by Mac McMurray, a resident of the Del Rio area. McMurray and his wife, Joy, were puzzled as to what type of animal had been coming regularly to their home at night to feed, accompanied by normal-looking raccoons. The Greeneville Sun showed the photo to Pete Wyatt, wildlife diversity coordinator for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) at its Morristown office. Wyatt said the animal is "very, very unusual," and appears to be a piebald raccoon, resembling a typical raccoon except for its white face. He said the animal is not an albino, which would be all-white. Wyatt, who has 30 years' experience identifying wildlife, also said it is biologically impossible for a raccoon to breed with an opossum, a theory which someone else suggested might explain the animal's features. He said he has seen piebald deer and other piebald mammals but has never before seen a piebald raccoon. "Piebald" is defined as "covered patches or spots of two colors."