Mexico's president claims that he has found a mythical woodland elf

The president of Mexico left people baffled after he tweeted a photo of what he claims to be a a woodland elf.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took to Twitter to post the grainy nighttime image that shows an unidentified creature with bright white eyes along with long white hair, while perched on a tree branch.

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In his tweet, López Obrador appears to be serious in his claim that the mysterious creature could be an "Aluxe,” a mischievous woodland spirit in Mayan folklore, that inhabit forests and fields and are prone to playing tricks on people, like hiding things according to AP.

He added in this tweet that the photo “was taken three days ago by an engineer," at a construction site, where the railway line called the Tren Maya is being built.

The new line will connect tourist destinations, including ancient Mayan sites, Independent reported.

"It appears to be an alux," the president said, before he concluded: “Everything is mystical.”

Though people have highlighted that the photo in question has been circulating on social media over the past two years and accused the president of spreading fake news but the original source of the image remains unknown.

Elsewhere, thousands of Mexicans gathered to protest at the weekend against López Obrador's administration following the news of cuts to the country's electoral watchdog as protesters say this move threatens democracy.

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