Is It A Raccoon Or A Dog? This Adorable ‘Raccoon Dog’ Named Tanu Is Taking The Internet By Storm

Meet Tanu, the internet’s newest animal celebrity — despite the fact that the internet is also kind of torn on just what kind of animal he is. To be exact, Tanu is a Japanese raccoon dog, also known as a “tanuki” — you know, that weird raccoon hybrid thing Mario dressed up as in Super Mario 3. According to Wikipedia, tanukis are often mistaken for badgers or raccoon, despite being a subspecies of Asian raccoon dog.

At any rate, Tanu’s adventures — which mostly involve sleeping, eating, and curling up by the fire — are documented on his owner’s Twitter feed, which has recently gone viral. Tanu’s owner took him in last summer after finding him abandoned, and apparently he has made himself at home ever since.

Here are just a few of the many photos of Tanu on Twitter. Because it’s winter, Tanu is technically in hibernation mode which also somewhat explains his lack of energy.

(Via Buzzfeed)

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