A woman in the Australian city of Hobart recently mistook a Tasmanian devil in her living room for her dog’s plush toy.
After Kirsten Lynch’s four-month-old golden retriever gave “a very strange bark” at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, she reached for what she thought was his plush toy, according to Australia’s ABC News.
“I went to reach for it and the devil shot underneath the couch,” she told the outlet. (RELATED: Man Washes His Hands In Pond, Alligator Pops Out And Seriously Injures Him)
Tasmanian devil mistaken for ‘plush toy’ by Hobart mum https://t.co/wMYR4lDwVZ
— ABC News (@abcnews) December 29, 2022
“This little Tasmanian devil was hiding underneath my couch,” she continued.
Lynch and her family live next to bushland, or an area of unplowed wilderness. She had been leaving the door open to toilet train her puppy, which is how she assumed the animal entered her home. At one point, she and her children were standing on the dining room table as Lynch’s husband chased the animal with a broom, ABC reported. The animal eventually left the house.
“I got a fright of my life. I woke the whole family up,” Lynch told the outlet.
The family said they did not call the Bonorong wildlife sanctuary because the animal did not appear injured after the ordeal. Director of Bonorong Greg Irons told ABC young Tasmanian devils leave “their mothers … to try and find their way” during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer months. They often scope out pet food and water bowls when thirsty, he said.