What animal is in my garden?

Question

I live in northern italy - Pecetto to be precise;

Me and my family keep hearing these Heavy thumping footsteps on our back patio and i haven't a clue what it could be! My mother recounts on seeing Large, cat-like hind legs.

My mother heard this wild animal again and asked me to poke my head out of my bedroom Ceiling window with a torch to try and identify this animal. With a few minutes past, i see a flat-haired creature with a long, Chubby body. Sort of the hair of a boar but i cannot recall any boars being in italy!

Would really help if someone could identify or at least suggest what type of animal this could be!! Thanks.

Answer 1

are there any other details about the creature you could tell us? any noise it makes or what its coloring or body structure was like? height?

EDIT: its not a hyena, those don't live in Europe, but a small bear is possible, but then bears are very curious, so if thats what it was it would also be digging through your garbage and tearing things up.

Answer 2

could it be some kind of bear or like a hyena? idk if yall have those in italy... add some more detail and i would be happy to answer again

Answer 3

Maybe its a badger

Answer 4

Boars have very characteristic snouts and split hooves, no cat like hind legs.  Maybe your mother only saw the ankle joint which bends back like a cat's.  

How big is it?  What is the color of its hair? How big are its ears?  What sort of tail does it have?  What other wild animals do you have in your area?

If it is digging in your garden it may be a boar, which is rooting for grubs and roots.  If it is eating the greens on top it probably is a hare or rabbit?  Here in Florida I only have to keep the opossums and raccoons out of the cat food, although in a few cases I've had bears come around.   But bears have paws with large claws that stick straight out.  

Talk with your neighbors and ask them if they have seen the animals too.