The four-legged creature was the size of a small labrador and sported the most beautiful brown multi-toned short fur coat. At first glance it looked like a dog, but it didn’t exhibit dog-like behaviour: it had no curiosity whatsoever, and never barked.

Its owner explained that it was a salamander. This couldn’t possibly be right. It was obvious that this was no amphibian, but a small mammal.

I asked TPR to pass my iPad mini so that I could take a photograph of the strange creature and make further investigations.