Would You Like A Capybara As A Pet? (Animal Story 25)

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"The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent. . . Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is not a threatened species and it is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin." (Excerpt from Wikipdia) Today I've learnt something new, namely: Firstly, that the English name of an animal whose German name can be translated as 'water hog' is 'capybara'. It's a term from the Tupian language which was spoken by the aboriginal Tupi people of Brazil. Secondly, that a wild animal prefers being a pet to living in the wilderness. A capybara was rescued on a beach in Argentina after its mother died and nursed back to health by human beings. They gave it the name 'Marlin'. When the rescuers decided that Marlin was fit again to live in its natural habitat, it refused to leave. Unfortunately, the video doesn't show or mention how the animal made its intention clear to stay with the humans. Maybe it went on a sit-down strike? Whatever. It now lives the pampered life of a pet, plays with the dogs of its new family, enjoys being stroked and have its belly rubbed. ========= If you're interested in more animal stories, click on the green box above the title. ========= If you want to see what a capybara looks like, watch this: