A man thought he was rescuing a helpless puppy deep in the forest—but what he brought home turned out to be something far more mysterious.

The strange creature was tiny, covered in soft black fur, and completely unfamiliar. It had been gently carried in by a dog and handed over to the Heart of the Forest Wildlife Rescue Center, where staff were just as puzzled. “Not a mouse, not a frog—just an unknown little creature,” they joked in a photo caption.

Online, people couldn’t get enough of the mystery. Some thought it was a kitten, others guessed squirrel, ferret, rabbit, or even a baby mink. A few said it looked like a miniature bear—or something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

The baby, just 3 or 4 days old, had small injuries but was safe. Even wildlife experts weren’t sure what species she was at first. To help with the debate, the center posted a tip: baby hares are born with fur and open eyes, while rabbits are hairless and blind at birth.

Whatever she was, one thing was certain: she was in the right hands. And as the months passed and the creature began to grow, her true identity—and an incredible transformation—was finally revealed.

Let’s just say, when the man who found her saw what she had become a year later, he was absolutely floored.