A super cute oversized South American rodent is on the run in Colorado. I know what you are thinking, but it's not a capybara. You may never have heard of it before: a Patagonian mara, also known as a Patagonian cavy.
Mara look like someone tried to make a combination of a rabbit and a deer and didn't follow the instructions. This one has been spotted in a park in Lakewood, far from its native home in Argentina. Unafraid of humans, the mara is likely an escaped or abandoned pet. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is concerned it may struggle to survive in the wild. To protect the rogue herbivore, traps have been set in the park.
Loose cavies have been found previously in Washington State, Arizona, and Las Vegas. A small population of cavies most likely descended from escaped pets, lives in the United Arab Emirates. While cavies may do well in captivity, are legal to keep as pets in some states, and are adorable, they should be left to live in the wild back home in Argentina.
Previously: Life with a 100 lb rodent that sounds like a Geiger counter when it's happy
