Capybara Spotted At Paso Robles Treatment Plant In California

California has sunshine, beaches and ... capybaras?

On July 22, Nick Kamp, a wastewater operator, reported spotting a capybara at the Paso Robles Wastewater Treatment Plant in California. According to MSNBC, he took photos of the animal, and described, "It had the body of a pig, but it had a longer nose and head to it." He said that the animal seemed calm, and swam with its head above and below the water.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Department of Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan said that the capybara isn't dangerous, “just weird looking."

The Telegraph reports that Todd Tognazzini, a lieutenant with the Department, believes the capybara is an escaped pet, although the animal cannot legally be kept without a special permit.

Native to South America, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, and can grow to be as large as a big dog.

The National Zoo's website writes that capybaras are grazing herbivores, and can weigh over 100 pounds. The animal is semi-aquatic, and can stay underwater for up to five minutes. Although their population is generally considered stable, their numbers have been reduced in some areas by hunting.

Although they are the largest rodent in the world, capybaras can actually be quite cute. Check out this video of a capybara enjoying some steam in Japan while his friends relax in the nearby spa.

Two years ago, a capybara was spotted at a ranch near to the treatment plant, and the ranch owner shot at the animal. It seems much better that this time, Kamp shot only photos.

Check out this slideshow of capybaras from around the world, and scroll down for an MSNBC video report on the California capybara:

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A capybara (Hidrochaerys) smells a photographic lens at the Santa Fe Zoo, in Medellin, Antioquia Department, Colombia, on March 8, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images)

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A capybara (Hidrochaerys) smells a photographic lens at the Santa Fe Zoo, in Medellin, Antioquia Department, Colombia, on March 8, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Raul ARBOLEDA (Photo credit should read RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images)

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This Capybara

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Gross So cute!

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Comments

[Carnacamarna]

11:17 PM on 08/19/2011

When I was a little kid, visiting family in Guyana, I remember being in the backyard (i.e. bush) of my grandparents house, and my grandfather telling me that I was going to inherit all this land. I remember shouting that I didn't want it cos the evil rats were everywhere. He laughed when he saw the group of capybaras. They can be annoying animals.

[OdinsEye]

06:36 PM on 08/19/2011

While they may be cute and pose no physical danger to people, they are very destructive, breed rapidly, and probably should just be shot on sight. We have seen the problems that invasive species can cause -- pigs/boars destroy a lot of crops as do nutria and some even say that a lot of damage from hurricane Katrina was made worse because of the pre-hurricane damage from nutria.

[Stephen Thorpe]

06:25 PM on 08/19/2011

Um,...how do they taste?

[JHKH]

05:48 PM on 08/19/2011

Is this critter wild and breeding? Fine if there's just one, but if there's a breeding pair. . . .

[yannb]

02:41 PM on 08/19/2011

Blow your nose, kid.

[thike]

10:49 AM on 08/19/2011

I realize this animal is cute, however introduced species can cause unreversable damage to an ecosystem. I have a horrible feeling this maybe one of those cases.
Please don't release animals in to the wild!

[jdusaf]

10:00 AM on 08/19/2011

Oh I like these things, though everytime I see them on a nature show they are inevitably being eaten by a crocodile or anaconda or something. These are like the staple food of South American predators.

[quillsinister]

01:18 AM on 08/19/2011

Rodents of unusual size?

I don't think they exist.

[SkiingGator]

05:36 AM on 08/19/2011

LOL - funny movie

[DoctorDirector]

12:13 AM on 08/19/2011

Wow. What a crop of inane comments.

Anyways...the capybara is adorable. Especially the one getting a steam/shower in the video.

[walkthebear]

10:14 PM on 08/18/2011

I was reading the story on the Capybara that was sited, and were astonished about how rare it was to see one. In the last week of July, several of us spotted a furry creature along the banks of the Nueces River off Hwy 37, mile marker 51 2 miles west from the highway. We were all shocked and knew it was an exotic creature. At first we thought it was a Nutria but after looking it up on a website, we knew exactly what it was. It was a very large Capybara. It was shocking to see, as avid hunters we had never seen an animal like that and sat there and stared at it as it ate. Bryan Bracht the owner of the ranch of ProBuilders out of Rockport, Rudy Sartena of Austin, Tx, and myself Bear Gamez of Corpus Christi were looking at a potential project on that ranch on the backside near the river. The animal just sat there looking at us. It just slowly walked away through the reeds in the river. Also, along with Bryan's wife and kids, we all got a look at the Capybara and it was just amazing. We thought it had to be someone's pet that got loose, because no one else had seen one before. This was a sizeable animal at least in the 150 lb range or more. That's our story to add to yours.

[Delvio]

04:43 PM on 08/18/2011

http://gianthamster.com/2011/08/capybara-adventure/#more-4579

[Cruel Justice Awaits]

02:45 PM on 08/18/2011

Does anyone wonder if there might be some correlatio­n between the sudden appearance of this critter and where its been spotted? Waste water treatment plant?? Im a little disappoint­ed it doesnt have 3 sequential­ly blinking eyes. On the one hand they say its not friendly but in the clip it looked so squishy and hug-able and rubby tummy yum yums. I want one too!, they eat their own poo, if they wont eat the cat, heck, I'll take two!

[FortuneKoochie]

12:30 PM on 08/18/2011

its arnolds other love child.

[reddrn63]

11:06 AM on 08/18/2011

Isn't it amazing how the report on this rodent turned into political comments. A pet who got loose? Let's wait and see. Eagles from South America have been found in our North Western States along with other wildlife not from here. Use your brains and intelligence on this concern.

[The other mike]

11:04 AM on 08/18/2011

So it's not Rick Perry?