I think I interrupted whatever animal is doing this... If it's the animal I suspect anyway like a woodchuck...those are some pretty hot peppers from my garden plus I put red pepper on the ground and he still attacked the plant...pretty sure the other picture that I post is a woodchuck den but I'm not a hundred percent sure... I wouldn't think it would be a gopher although the gophers have been giving me hell all season in my garden....but this is the first time that I can recall ever having my bark eaten off my plant.. urgha