Comments on: Capybara Sightings Continue

By: norman-uk

norman-uk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:32:03 +0000

Interesting to hear the noises made by the Capybaras, chirruping and clicking and a bark. I doubt this is their full repetoire however. The bark was similar to a Muntjac but much shorter. Both a hoarse not a gutteral sound. I have always thought, rather like mutiple uneven lengths of straight lines of sound being projected to you at the same time.

The Muntajc alarm call can be very loud and if one is unware of it frightening, echoing around a quiet wood, mostly at night. It can be, not suprisingly heard a long way away. The squealing can be loud as well but is heard less frequently and seems to be more to do with disputes or mating.

Personally I have not heard of capybaras roaming in the UK nor have
gamekeepers of my aquaintence. There are wild boar now and this could lead to misidentification.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:40:21 +0000

It is my opinion that the animal(s) spotted beneath the window are not capybaras based on the description of the sound. Capybaras do not sound like a rat or a fox. They sound more like birds than anything else. Or guinea pigs but people don't often make that connection because of the size difference. Capybaras can live in areas with minimal water if that is there only choice. It is not preferred, but they don't absolutely have to have a swimming area. Identification of an animal after-the-fact, especially if you did not have a mental image of the species to compare against real-time, is, I think, unreliable. You should hear the ridiculous things Caplin Rous has been called even when people get a good look at him. If you'd like to hear what capybaras sound like, you can watch the "Caplin Rous Speaks" video on youtube. For more information on capybaras, visit my blog at Giant Hamster.

By: norman-uk

norman-uk — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:12:01 +0000

I dont know what these good people saw but I know what they probably saw and that is Reeves Muntjac. They are now plentiful in much of the UK. As long as there is a bit of scrub or wood they will take up residence, even in moderate size gardens. They can get used to people and where dogs are not a problem will show themselves. In a built up area they sometimes get their heads stuck in gates.They were originally introduced to the UK at Woburn park which is not far off from the area of the sightings.

They can be noisy, barking and squealing, usually from a concealed position. They breed very rapidly and can be a problem eating out wild flowers such as rare orchids and…getting in the way of cars. They do make good eating however, especially for wild cats and they are interesting even cute!

A smaller probability is that the witnesses have seen the much less common chinese water deer, which can look odd and are more easily mistaken for capybaras. However they like a marshy reedy wet environment as do capybara and I dont think it is available in the area of the sightings.

Interestingly in view of the attention given to possible sasquatch footprints. The first I knew of muntjac being around was, unexpectedly, finding their tiny footprints, either as dimples in the grass or a clear mark in soil. Something for you to look out for in the USA as I read they had been released there and barring predators, the population is likely to explode but as I say, they do make good eating and are ideal prey for wild cats, big or small.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:59:32 +0000

While I’m willing to admit that some of these sightings MAY be mistaken identity, I think MOST (not all) people are familiar enough with deer or deer-like creatures to know the difference between that and a large rodent. That actor who saw it and his stepson seemed convinced enough.

By: shumway10973

shumway10973 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:08:24 +0000

All capybaras I have ever watched on tv not only live in water, but are brown, like the top photo. In fact, in South America the Catholic church allowed the peasants to eat capybaras on friday (the members of the Catholic faith can’t eat meat on fridays, but can have fish) calling it a fish, officially. The creature in the grill of the car is definitely more deer like. Has the stripes down the snout like the little deer. Hooves like an antelope and the nose looking more like a cow, but small. May not be one pictured above and mentioned, but it is something similar.

By: Cryptoanonymous

Cryptoanonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:10:12 +0000

Is there a body of water nearby? Capybaras are semi-aquatic animals, so they should look for something resembling their natural habitat.