Keep the image of that cute-looking alpaca above in your memories, because you’re going to need it.

Japan has a soft spot for alpacas. The fluffy creatures are so popular they’ve been giving starring roles in dating simulator video games and served as wedding ceremony attendees, and they’re always a crowd-pleaser at zoos in Japan.

So when Japanese Twitter user @d_d_osorezan took a trip to tourist farm he made sure to take plenty of pictures of the alpaca residents, and while the fuzzy fellas looked adorable in most of his snapshots, there was one terrifying exception.

In one photo, the alpaca is staring straight into the camera’s lens, and the effect is bone-chillingly surreal. While most of its coat is a snowy white, the animal has dark patches around its startlingly human-like eyes, with the color looking like it’s dripping down its cheeks. Framing its face are dark streaks that look like tangled, matted bangs, and below its nose is a wide, reddish-brown half-circle that looks like a devilish, deranged grin.

So, in short, this alpaca is basically Heath Ledger’s Joker, as one commenter was quick to point out.

There were a few alternate theories as well, such as the hunters disguised as boars in Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke…

…or Detroit-born heavy metal icon Alice Cooper.

Regardless of which resemblance is strongest, this is the most disturbing alpaca image we’ve seen since that vicious alpaca brawl video from last fall. But if you’re brave enough to look closely at @d_d_osorezan’s photo, you’ll see that the odd-looking alpaca isn’t actually flashing a murderous grin, as its red smile is just an unusually located patch of differently colored hair. And as multiple commenters pointed out, once you get over the shock of how human-like they appear, the alpaca’s eyes have a certain sad yet gentle beauty to them.

There’s also the fact that its muzzle looks an awful lot like a cat scrunching up its face, which is either reassuringly cute or one more unsettling element, depending on your personal reaction.

https://twitter.com/koootya89/status/1121063345031827457

Now if you’ll excuse us, it’s snack time, and we’ve got some serious thinking to do before we can decide how we feel about eating our alpaca-shaped donuts.

Source: Twitter/@d_d_osorezan via Jin
Top image: Wikipedia/Notnoisy
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