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The old Post Office in Moose Jaw.
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Capybaras Are Getting Ready to Take Over Florida!

Just listening to a story on NPR about an upcoming invasion of Florida w/ the world's largest rodent, i.e. the Capybara (pic below plus several quotes about the animal) - BOY, another potential surprise for Susan & I on our yearly trip to the state - YIKES! ;) Dave

P.S. well, unlike the alligator, at least the Capybara is a vegetarian!
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Does any state in the U.S. have as many problems – self-inflicted or otherwise – as Florida? Get ready to add another big one to its list. A Florida biologist is warning that capybaras – the world’s largest rodents – are thriving in Northern Florida and getting ready to move anyplace where there’s vegetation. Should somebody warn Mickey that there’s a new rodent in town and this state isn’t big enough for the both of them (Source)?
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The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is native to South America and lives in groups of 100 in dense forests and savannahs near bodies of water. So the fifty in Florida are just getting acclimated to the home-like environment. They can grow to 4.4 feet in length, 2 feet in height and weigh up to 146 pounds with the record held by a female from Brazil weighing 201 pounds. (Wasn’t she the shot-putter on their Olympic team?) Oh, and they breed fast and can have litters of up to 8 pups. Sounds like an explosion of capybaras is not far off (Source).
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giradman said:
Capybaras Are Getting Ready to Take Over Florida!

Just listening to a story on NPR about an upcoming invasion of Florida w/ the world's largest rodent, i.e. the Capybara (pic below plus several quotes about the animal) - BOY, another potential surprise for Susan & I on our yearly trip to the state - YIKES! ;) Dave

P.S. well, unlike the alligator, at least the Capybara is a vegetarian!
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I expect the incursion was the result of an unthinking pet owner releasing his Capybaras into the wild when they were no longer wanted.

Despite the pleas of naturalists who want to study them, the only way to eliminate the potential disaster resulting from the uncontrolled population increase of these animals which have no natural enemies in Florida is to kill or capture the entire population before it gets out of hand in the wild.
 
scifan57 said:
I expect the incursion was the result of an unthinking pet owner releasing his Capybaras into the wild when they were no longer wanted.

Despite the pleas of naturalists who want to study them, the only way to eliminate the potential disaster resulting from the uncontrolled population increase of these animals which have no natural enemies in Florida is to kill or capture the entire population before it gets out of hand in the wild.
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Yep - released 'pets', such as snakes in the Florida Everglades can certainly be the issue - another quote below (Source), along w/ a video - Dave :)


Joining an already robust list of invasive species, capybaras, the world's largest rodents, are now popping up in Florida.

Speaking at the 53rd Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society, biologist Elizabeth Congdon, of Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, says a known group of capybaras are living and breeding in Northern Florida.

It's believed the semi-aquatic South American mammal was accidentally released in Florida (meaning, someone's pet escaped) sometime in the early 21st century.

The massive rodent prefers to live in tropical forest areas along rivers, lakes and marshes and it's estimated that there are at least 50 currently living in the Florida wilds.
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