-- An expert who examined the remains of the mysterious animal found dead over the weekend, believes it was just a wild dog. Resident from Litchfield, Sabattus, Greene, Turner, Lewiston and Auburn have complained for years about the mysterious animal with its chilling monstrous cries.

Loren Coleman, a Portland author and cryptozoologist, said though he didn't know for sure what the animal was, but based on his examination of its remains, "I think this dead animal is a chow or chow-mix, a relatively small dog, that was feral, which is unusual for that area," he told the Sun Journal newspaper.

State wildlife biologists and local animal control officers had declined to go to Turner to examine the remains of the animal, which was found Saturday near power lines along Route 4.

The animal was apparently hit by a car while chasing a cat.

The carcass had was photographed and inspected by several people who live in the area and a number of speculations were made over the identity of the creature.

Some said it was simply a dog. Others said it was a goat-sheep hybrid. Still others weighed in that the creature might have been a Tasmanian devil, a dingo, a wolf or coyote and other more outlandish theories involved mutations and extraterrestrials.

By the time Coleman arrived on Wednesday only bones and skin of the mystery creature were left on the spot. The internal organs and skull were gone.

Nonetheless, he came away with a paw and other body parts to be examined later. Another paw has been taken by the Sun Journal, which is exploring the possibility of conducting DNA tests.

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