A woman received the fright of her life when when she found a Tasmanian Devil underneath her sofa - initially mistaking the animal for a dog toy.
Kirsten Lynch, from Sandy Bay in Hobart, Tasmania, thought she was looking at her Golden Retriever's toy of a Tasmanian Devil when she realised it was the world's largest carnivorous marsupial.
She made the discovery at around 10pm on December 28 when her puppy named Gecko let out a 'strange bark' in the direction of the Tasmanian devil.
After she got over the initial shock of finding the animal, she admitted that she thought the Tasmanian Devil was rather cute.
Kirsten explained to news platform: “I went to reach for it, the devil shot underneath the couch."
After the shocking discovery, Kirsten and her children climbed on top of their kitchen table while her husband shooed the creature out of their home with a broom.
She continued: “We were concerned that if she or he was cornered and scared they would bite someone.
“I got the fright of my life. But to be honest, I think the poor thing was more terrified of us.”
While many assume that Tasmanian Devils are aggressive due to their name, they are known to be timid creatures.
However, it is best to stay on the right side of the animal as they can bite if they feel threatened.
While they do not often venture into people's homes, around this time of year it's not unheard of as they will come out of rural areas to hunt for food and water.
Kirsten went onto admit that she thinks the Tasmanian Devil followed her four-month-old Golden Retriever into the property from the garden.
She concluded: “The devil got through the fence behind Gecko and walked in through the door that we leave open for her as she’s still potty training.
“It was very cute.”
As no one was hurt, Kirsten's family decided against calling their local wildlife sanctuary.
Bonorong wildlife sanctuary director Greg Irons told ABC News that the animals often wander into suburban areas.
He said: "There's a lot of young ones that are leaving their mothers and they're heading out to try and find their way. That's obviously a pretty tough gig."
Tasmanian devils, which are currently listed as an endangered, can grow up to 78 centimetres long and weigh up to 11kilograms.
The creatures bare sharp teeth which can deliver the most powerful bite of any mammal in comparison to their body mass.
Despite their scary looks, Tasmanian devils are not considered a threat to humans and are nocturnal.
