Comments on: Actor Sees Capybara Near London

By: bussbedeh

bussbedeh — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:36:28 +0000

In 2005 I saw one from above at about 10 metres distance moving along a small stream when I was quietly having a sandwich on Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:02:03 +0000

Thanks for the info, Wombatarama.

By: wombatarama

wombatarama — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:20:15 +0000

I've collected some sightings of capybaras in the US sent to me by readers of my (now infrequently updated) site about capybaras: capybara sightings I particularly recommend the newspaper story in the first link on that page.

By: Andrew D. Gable

Andrew D. Gable — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:18:48 +0000

It’s Boo, the miniature giant space hamster (from the Baldur’s Gate computer games).

No, seriously, in a bit of the synchronicity and coincidence and such with cryptozoology that Loren has written about in the past, it’s notable that the most recent English one is referred to as the Barnet Beast, and in the case near Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster, PA the witnesses were named Barnett.

About the Lancaster sighting: when first seen one of the first reactions of the witness was that it was a beaver. Strangely enough, Long Lane (where the sighting took place) becomes Beaver Valley Pike after it crosses Route 283. I fully intend to investigate the beaver angle at some point in the near future: several waterways are present in the area, and it’s possible one of those was home to a beaver — I, for one, hadn’t been aware that beavers ranged into Lancaster County, which they do, and I wonder if the witness did, and therefore if maybe her first instinct was correct.

In any case, I don’t think the Lancaster sighting was a capybara. The witness specifically mentioned a long tail which obviously capybara don’t have. Also similarly to this sighting, nutria was mentioned as a possibility in that case as well.

By: CaplinRous

CaplinRous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:03:57 +0000

Just want to mention that I am a pet capybara, living in Texas. I have my own blog at GiantHamster.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:43:28 +0000

I envy Mr. Fisher.

And kudos to his nephew for being knowledgeable about such things.

Could be Nutria, but Fisher seems certain it is a Capybara. Who knows…

By: BoyintheMachine

BoyintheMachine — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:13:34 +0000

I was also wondering if it wasn't just a mistaken sighting of a Nutria. According to this, Nutria were introduced to England prior to 1944 but in 1988 it was claimed that all the wild Nutria had been trapped. It's possible they were wrong.