A short video filmed from inside a car in the Dubai desert triggered one of the UAE's most-shared wildlife moments of the year. Three large animals with long rabbit-like ears, small-deer legs, and dog-shaped faces sat calmly on low desert vegetation while the woman behind the camera laughed and questioned what she was even looking at. The clip passed one million views in hours, with viewers cycling through guesses that ranged from fantasy hybrids to escaped movie-set props.
The animals are Patagonian maras — large rodents native to Argentina — and they have been quietly living in Dubai's desert reserves for years.
The Video That Confused the Internet
The clip was recorded by Louise Starkey, an Australian expatriate who has lived in Dubai for about two years. She was driving toward a barbecue gathering near Crescent Moon Lake inside the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve when she spotted the animals. She filmed them from inside the car and later posted the video to Instagram with a joking caption asking whether she had just seen a "bunny deer dog."
The video spread fast. Comments flooded in from viewers who had never encountered the species. Some guessed hybrid animals; others joked about experimental wildlife programmes. The confusion was genuine, and the lighthearted tone of the clip made it impossible to scroll past.
What Is a Patagonian Mara?
The Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum) is one of the largest rodents in the world, despite its decidedly un-rodent-like appearance. Adults typically reach 69 to 75 centimetres in length and can weigh up to 16 kilograms. They have long upright ears, a compact body, and legs built for speed across open grassland — a combination that routinely baffles first-time viewers.
Maras are herbivores and live in social groups, which explains why three were resting together. Their range in the wild spans the open scrublands and grasslands of Argentina's Patagonia region, an environment that shares enough characteristics with Dubai's desert reserves — flat, open land with low vegetation — to support survival.
How Did They End Up in Dubai?
According to wildlife enthusiasts and researchers who have tracked the species in the UAE, Patagonian maras first appeared publicly around Al Qudra Lakes and the broader Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve in 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. Sightings were reported across social media and noted in the Dubai Natural History Group's newsletter, with volunteers documenting animals at both Al Qudra and on Saadiyat Island near Abu Dhabi.
Jacky Judas, a researcher who has long studied mammals in the UAE, wrote that the species is "a common species in zoological collections and undoubtedly found its way out from captivity." The prevailing theory among wildlife observers is that the animals were once kept as exotic pets — a practice that has historically introduced non-native species across the UAE — and were later released or escaped near the desert reserves.
No official statement from UAE authorities has confirmed how the population arrived or how large it has grown, but estimates suggest as many as 200 Patagonian maras may now be living across the Al Qudra and Al Marmoom areas.
Why They Seem So Comfortable
One detail that surprised viewers was how unbothered the animals appeared. In the video, the three maras barely react to the car or the noise from inside it. They sit, rest, and shift position without fleeing.
This calm response is consistent with animals that have been in the area for several years and have grown accustomed to passing vehicles. Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve offers protected land, limited disturbance in certain zones, and enough plant matter to support grazing animals year-round.
Their established warrens among the dunes — built over multiple seasons — suggest the population is stable and unlikely to disappear quietly.
A Viral Moment With a Real Answer
What started as a lighthearted Instagram post turned into one of the UAE's most widely-shared wildlife moments of the season. The bunny deer dog mystery ended with a real and verifiable answer, and one that pointed to a larger story about non-native species finding unexpected footholds in the UAE's protected landscapes.
Patagonian maras may look like nothing that belongs in a Gulf desert, but for anyone who regularly visits Al Qudra or Al Marmoom, their presence has become a quiet, familiar fact. This viral clip simply brought them into full public view — and reminded the rest of the world that Dubai's desert holds more surprises than most people expect.
