Capybara Giant Rodent Spotted in California

There are reports online that the Capybara, considered the world’s largest rodent, has been sighted in California by waste workers.

See also: Capybara Pictures – Caplin the Giant Rodent

From Orlando Sentinel:

Wardens are prepared to set live traps for the animal, said Lt. Todd Tognazzini of the Department of Fish and Game., and relocate it to a local nonprofit animal group.

Though capybaras (the rodent is pictured above) aren’t considered predatory toward humans, any wild animal should be treated with extra caution, he said.

“Like any wild animal, they’re going to defend themselves, so we wouldn’t want anybody to get close to it,” Tognazzini said.

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents — they can reach the size of a small dog — and are often described as a mix between a rat and a guinea pig. They’re nocturnal and semi-aquatic, and prefer habitats with dense vegetation and access to water. They are illegal to own as a pet in California.

The rodents aren’t dangerous, “just weird looking,” said Department of Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan.
“Somebody probably brought it in as a pet and they either got away or people couldn’t deal with it anymore,” Hughan said. “It’s no harm. It’s just going to root around.”

It’s not the first time a capybara has been spotted in Paso Robles, Tognazzini said. Game wardens received a report about three years ago of a capybara in a pond near Hunter Ranch Golf Course, but because there were no other sightings and beavers live in the area, they thought it was a mistaken report.