The death of ‘dogxim’, a exclusive hybrid species of a dog and fox, remains a mystery as the precise cause and time of its death are unknown. The creature was found just after a auto accident in Brazil in 2021 and was taken to the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul veterinary hospital. DNA testing confirmed that ‘dogxim’ was the 1st-ever dog-fox hybrid. The Brazilian government has initiated an investigation as the keepers of the animal failed to report its death.

The Pampas fox-dog hybrid had been residing at the Sao Braz conservation centre given that November 2021. Nonetheless, when authorities requested photographs of the exclusive animal, they had been informed that it had passed away six months ago. Dr Rafael Kretschmer, a cytogeneticist who confirmed the hybrid nature of ‘dogxim’, expressed sadness more than the lack of details concerning the precise date and bring about of its death. The death was only found when Dr Kretschmer contacted Mantenedouro Sao Braz to request current images of the hybrid.

Flavia Ferrari, a conservationist who worked with the animal, stated that the female ‘dogxim’ was healthier, and there had been no indications of any overall health difficulties. Researchers studying the animal had been shocked to observe that ‘dogxim’ rejected dog meals but accepted compact rats as meals. In addition, the pampas fox-dog hybrid displayed peculiar behavior by climbing the nearby bush in its enclosure, as noted by researcher Cristina Araujo Matzenbacher.

The discovery of ‘dogxim’ was documented in the journal MDPI, exactly where scientists described their use of sophisticated strategies, such as cytogenetics, to test the animal’s DNA.