The first known hybrid between a dog and a fox was discovered in Brazil after being hit by a car

• The first known hybrid between a pampas fox and a domestic dog was discovered in Brazil.
• The "amazing" creature shared visual and behavioral characteristics with both animals.

An "amazing" animal discovered in Brazil appears to be the first known case of a dog and a fox cross-breeding.

Research into the animal's origins began when it was hit by a car in 2021 and the staff at a veterinary hospital couldn't determine what it was, the British newspaper The Telegraph reported.

Flávia Ferrari, a conservationist who worked with the animal, told The Telegraph the animal was "amazing."

"It was not as docile as a dog, but it also lacked the aggressiveness expected of a wild canid when handled," she said.

The dog-fox hybrid shared characteristics with both animals, scientists said. According to The Telegraph, the animal preferred live rodents to being fed but barked like a dog.

It also had a body size and shape similar to some types of foxes but had distinct differences, including a dark, nearly black coat of fur, according to the study.

Scientists studied the animal's genes and said in a recent study that findings suggest the animal's mother was a pampas fox and its father was a domestic dog of an unspecified breed.

The Telegraph published photos of the unique animal.

Names suggested for the animal were "graxorra," which combines the Portuguese names for the pampas fox and the female dog, and "dogxim," which combines "dog" and the Portuguese name for the pampas fox.

The dog-fox was neutered as part of its treatment, The Telegraph said.

After the animal recovered at the veterinary hospital of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul she was transferred to a conservation center in Santa Maria city, per The Telegraph.

The Telegraph later reported that the animal had died in unknown circumstances six months ago and that the death was being investigated by the government after the animal's keepers did not report it.

Ferrari said, per the paper: "When she left she was healthy, there were no indications of any health problems. Health check-ups were carried out periodically, including blood tests."

Ferrari didn't respond to a request for further comment from Insider.

Interbreeding between animals of different species is not uncommon — the best-known example being the liger, a cross between a female lion and a male tiger.

However, it is rare for animals to breed outside their genus, especially in the wild outside a human-controlled environment.

It would be the first recorded case of a dog breeding outside its genus anywhere in the world, the study says.

While there have been recorded cases of hybridization between domestic dogs and wolves, they belong to the same genus.

Hybridization can threaten wildlife conservation because of risks of disease transmission and of introgression, which is the permanent introduction of genes from one species to another, the study said.