Can You Decipher This ‘Impossible’ New York Trail Cam Photo?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what happens when the image is impossible to decipher?

New Yorkers across the state use trail cameras for a countless number of reasons. No matter their use, however, it's always important to be able to identify exactly what's appearing on the footage.

Trail Camera Footage in New York State

One of the best uses of outdoor cameras is to spy on the many types of local wildlife in your backyard. From elusive predators to thieving bears, it seems like New York animals are never camera shy, including a recent mystery animal shared by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (below).

Mystery Animal on New York Trail Cam

"Wildlife is fascinating, cool, and amusing, but sometimes it’s also a bit tricky!", the NYS DEC recently shared on Facebook (below). The photo showed what seemed to be a pig or even a very non-native capybara... until you look closer.

Optical Illusion on New York Trail Camera

As the DEC highlights, photographs, whether taken by a professional or a trail camera, are all about the angles. As it turns out, what looks like a large head is actually a fluffy tail.

The tail is the portion that kind of looks like a pig head—gray foxes have a black stripe down their tail, and it’s that marking that appears to be a pig's face. The face of the gray fox is bent down away from the camera.

The optical illusion is not only fun to send to friends and family, but to any local resident looking to stir the pot with their favorite Bigfoot enthusiast who just swears their recent blurry photo is the real deal as well.

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While some photographs are tricky, others are clear as day. Check out the extremely well-lit shots of an unwelcome visitor to SUNY New Paltz below.