What was this animal?

[jgradyc]

I was running around 11am in Bells Bend Park northwest of Nashville and I heard a chuffing sound in a thick grove of underbrush. I stopped running and listened. I heard it again as it moved around in the brush. The CHUFFF sounded a bit like a deer huffing and a bit like a dog clearing its nose after burrowing in the dirt for a mouse.  I've heard deer make a similar sound, but this wasn't a deer... I'm just saying it was a similar sound to a deer huffing.  I listened as it moved through the grove, chuffing every 10-15 seconds or so and moving maybe 100 feet away. Then, it circled back and moved closer to me. I still couldn't see it. Then, it moved closer like it was heading straight towards me. Whatever it was, it got within about 30 feet of me. I still couldn't see it. Then, the chuffing stopped. I suddenly thought it might be a wild pig and I looked around for sticks or rocks and saw nothing to defend myself with so I thought it was time to back away.

Judging by the direction of the sound, it was low to the ground... not as tall as a deer. The sound would have been about the height of a small dog. It was creepy to hear something that close and not be able to see it. 

It sounded like maybe it was rooting in the dirt and then chuffing to get the dirt out of its nose. I wondered that because I saw a lot of holes in the running path where some animal had rooted after grubs or something. 

I stopped at the Nature Center. She said she had seen some armadillos around recently and wondered if they made that sound. Otherwise, she had no idea either.

What do you think it was?

 

[Garufa]

Either a chupacabra or some asshole’s pitbull.

[Johnny Rotten]

maybe

[gregintenn]

Armadillo was my first guess.

[Sleep profit]

Infamous. Tennessee wildman

[Grayfox54]

I dealt with Armadillos years ago in Texas. They do dig, but move slow. Never heard one make any other sound than the digging noises. 

My guess is a pig. Maybe just a small one that could hide well in the brush.  

[jgradyc]

I thought about getting a video, but I couldn't see anything so I didn't try. Later, I realized that I could have recorded the sounds, but I had walked to my car by then and it was too hot to walk back. 

[RED333]

You interrupted 2 lovers having a go!!!

[monkeylizard]

BLACK PANTHER!!!!!!

[peejman]

Pig, groundhog, ork, .... something like that. 

[gregintenn]

Bearpigman.

[jgradyc]

Ha! Well, I looked up armadillo sounds and discovered that they can make a pig-like grunt or a wheezy grunt when foraging for food. I'm guessing it was an armadillo.