What is this bizarre-looking creature? Keep looking and it becomes clear

In 2019, an Alaskan Reddit user named mmmckinnell shared a photo in the subreddit r/whenyouseeit (which has since been deleted and reposted here). Initially, this image garnered little attention and was on the verge of being forgotten. However the photo recently resurfaced and captured the imagination of a global audience on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms. Why? The photo appeared to be a monstrous creature that defies easy classification.

The subjects of debate and speculation include a wide variety of theories. The Reddit comments on the mysterious photo include a range of reactions and insights from users who were initially confused by the image. Here are the top highlights from the comments:

  • Many users, like the original poster and dorothybaez, initially saw cloven hooves in the picture, highlighting how the mind can fill in details where there are none.
  • That_PaiHater and others expressed initial confusion, describing their reaction as "confuzzled" and "truly disturbing" before understanding what the image actually depicted.
  • The picture was recognized as a successful "when you see it" moment by randomstudman, as it took viewers a moment to understand what they were actually looking at.
  • Comments from users like Blandish06 and sagelface show that people initially mistook the creature as a "fucked up piglet" or a normal dog wearing a "beast mask."

Can you tell what it is? Hint: turn the image upside down.

1 like=1 respec
by inwhenyouseeit

See also: Confusing photo