Tanuki (Japanese racoon dogs), are always a pleasing sight due to their adorable faces and bushy tails. They also have a bit of a special place in Japanese folklore. They're thought to be capable of magical shapeshifting, supposedly triggered by the placing of a leaf on top of their head. Whether you're admiring their cuteness or the possibility of running into a magical trickster animal, they have quite the fanbase and the rare chance to stumble upon one in the wild is always a treat.

Twitter account Akan Nature Center (@Akan_Nature), which shares information and tips about Kushiro City in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, recently posted a missed encounter with a tanuki that may be as charming as an actual meeting. The Akan Nature Center shared a photo of some tanuki tracks that seem to tell quite the funny story of one of the shapeshifting racoon dogs!

As you can see, it appears that a tanuki crossing through the snow-covered area slipped and lost footing around the ice buried underneath, causing it to slip and fall and leave a Wile E. Coyote-esque cartoonish outline in the snow. The photo has become a viral hit, with many musing about the normally mischievous and "magical" tanuki having an uncharacteristic slip up. As funny as the scene is, you can't help but feel a bit bad for the embarrassed tanuki. Perhaps it's best to eat a tanuki donut in his honor.