Rare creature caught on camera in Texas park

Texas Park Rangers spotted an elusive nocturnal creature on the prowl during a nighttime survey that shocked onlookers.

On September 12, a ringtail cat was filmed strolling through Palo Duro Canyon State Park near Amarillo.

The creature is a cat-sized carnivore that looks like a small fox with a long raccoon-like tail and is completely nocturnal — meaning it sleeps all day, according to Texas parks and wildlife.

Excited rangers were in disbelief when they spotted the ringtail and filmed it as it ran through the rocky terrain.

“I told you,” a ranger said as they started recording. “No way,” said another.

The ringtail was filmed strolling through Palo Duro Canyon State Park (pictured) near Amarillo

The video starts with the ringtail moving through some bushes before coming into view before continuing to climb through the rocks.

“Isn’t that cool,” the ranger said. “Look, he’s hopping,” said the other.

Ringtail cats do not belong to the cat family, but get their name from their feline appearance.

They are members of the mammals of the raccoon family native to the Southwestern desert region.

They only come out at night and have a dispersed population, making them difficult to spot in the wild, according to the San Antonio Zoo.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists ringtails as a species of least concern, meaning their population is stable but they do face some risks, such as habit loss.

Ringtails are cat-sized carnivores that look like a small fox with a long raccoon-like tail

They only emerge at night and have a scattered population making them difficult to spot in the wild

They prefer to live in rocky areas and are excellent climbers, allowing them to build their dens in crevices and cavities.

Ringtails usually live alone, but mothers live with their babies and often only leave at night to mate and feed.

They eat a wide variety of foods, including birds, rodents, carrion, reptiles and amphibians, as well as insects such as grasshoppers and crickets. They also eat native fruits and berries.

Last year, a ringtail cat was found lethargic on an Amarillo property and taken to the Wild West Animal Rehabilitation Center.

‘[The ringtail] presented with extreme lethargy, dehydration, malnutrition and hypothermia,” the center said.

A veterinarian determined that the creature ingested Bromethalin (rat poison) and died, a local radio station reports The bull.

In Colorado, an adorable ringtail cat (pictured) was rescued from a food pantry in January

Its presence in northern Colorado surprised rescuers, as the area is outside their native territory

In January, a ringtail was discovered in a food pantry in downtown Longmont, Colorado.

Its presence in northern Colorado surprised rescuers, as the area is outside their native territory.

“We were also surprised to see one in such an urban setting along the Front Range,” said Mysti Tatro, community relations manager for Greenwood Wildlife. KDVR at the time.

“We’re really not sure how this little critter ended up in a Longmont pantry. Maybe it went for a ride? It’s hard to say, but there have been sightings on the Front Range, so it’s not entirely out of the question that it was just living in the wild and then decided to worm its way in during the recent cold snap.”