"Bunny deer dog?” Woman spots 3 large bizarre creatures in Dubai; video sparks confusion but social media has the answer

Recently, an Aussie expat cruising through the desert spotted these bizarre creatures that looked like they jumped straight out of a fantasy book: part bunny, part deer, total head-scratcher. She posted a video online questioning the same, and its viral video has left everyone amazed and confused.


Australian woman spots a bizarre creatureAn Australian woman living in Dubai got the shock of her life while heading to a barbecue, filming odd animals from her car that looked like giant rabbits chilling on grass. Louise Starkey, originally from Sydney and in Dubai since two years, captured the pack near Crescent Moon Lake and posted it on Instagram, where it hit 1.3 million views in one day. “What the hell is that? God, is that a bunny?” a voice asks off-camera in the video. She captioned it, “What in the Harry Potter concoction is this? Is this a bunny deer dog?”


Starkey told HT, the sighting happened just outside Crescent Moon Lake, a popular desert spot in the Al Marmoom area packed with visitors. The clip shows three large creatures lounging, causing instant confusion online.


Social media responseInstagram users quickly cracked the case, identifying them as Patagonian maras, which are big rodents from Argentina that resemble rabbits crossed with small deer. “They are called a Patagonian mara and I legit had the exact same reaction when I saw these little bundles of wizardry cuteness sitting in the middle of the roundabout out near Al Qudra,” one commenter wrote.


Another explained, “It’s not a bunny. This is a Patagonian mara - a large wild rodent originally from Argentina... They look like a mix between a rabbit and a small deer. They’re harmless herbivores and people have started seeing them near Al Qudra lakes since 2020, but they’re wild, so best admired from a distance.”


A third noted: “It is a Mara. The Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve is home to approximately 200 maras, believed to have originated from abandoned pets.”

These South American natives likely escaped or were ditched as pets, living in Dubai's reserves like Al Marmoom and Al Qudra Lakes. A 2024 Independent report confirms maras roam Al Qudra grounds, while Jacky Judas wrote in A Natural History of the Emirates: “This large rodent is a common species in zoological collections and undoubtedly found its way out from captivity.” Crescent Moon Lake sits in Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, a wildlife haven with oryx and birds.


What are Maras?Maras, or Patagonian maras, are big rodents from Argentina's grassy steppes that look like a wild mix of rabbit, deer, and dog. They have long legs, huge ears, and a bouncy gait. About 70 cm long and 8–16 kg, they're herbivores munching grasses, zipping up to 45 km/h to dodge foxes or cats. They live in loyal pairs or small groups, raising pups in burrows, and even "stot" like antelopes when spotting danger.