Witnesses estimate the creature, called a capybara, weighs at least 100 pounds. I saw one of these in a circus tent when I was a kid. It looked like a large, strange pig. According to an article from Reuters, the capybara has the dubious honor of being the world's largest rodent. This is the third sighting in three years. Experts believe it is the same creature.
California is a long way from South America, so how did this king-size creature get to the Golden State? The most likely explanation, according to Todd Tognazzini of the California Department of Fish and Game, is that the big beast is an escaped pet. The capybara, which resembles a huge guinea pig, eats vegetation and, despite its intimidating size, is not considered dangerous. It's also kind of cute, as seen on Good Morning America below.
One of the problems we have in Florida is released exotics. Everything from snakes to monkeys have been let go. People think they are helping the animal, but this is not true. These animals become invasive to the local environment. They upset the exo-system. This puts other animals at risk as the invasive competes for the same food source.
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| It sort of looks like a pig/rat |
One of the problems we have in Florida is released exotics. Everything from snakes to monkeys have been let go. People think they are helping the animal, but this is not true. These animals become invasive to the local environment. They upset the exo-system. This puts other animals at risk as the invasive competes for the same food source.
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