[Pueo]

Dear Forum,
Well this is a very rare find, a capybara running wild in the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. When I first saw it I thought I knew what it was and lucky I had my camera with me so I could share it with some friends in the know to confirm it. Needless to say it was not what I was looking for but it did make my day.
William Disbro

[very boring banned member]

An escapee?

[Pueo]

Yes it must be a escapee or someone released it into the wild from there exotic animal collection. Since the normal native habitat for these animals is in Central and South America.

[dacol]

Originally Posted by Karwin

An escapee?

Global warming!!!

Dalcio

[birdpotter]

I am having a vision...I bet you anything there is some Exotic Animal Paradise somewhere around there that has had a number of accounts of escapees. In fact, I bet there are monkeys roaming around there too just a little southwest of you.
Okay, so I am not psychic, I used to live in Wright County, my son was born in Texas County, so I know quite a bit about the area. Or at least the tales of released or escaped animals from the EAP( and private 'collections') and tales of primates roaming around the Branson area.
Although, the armadillos have slowly migrated all the way up into the Ozarks over the past ten years, so I imagine the capybara wouldn't be such a stretch. Southern MO is one of those places that is so very close to so many other climates, environments, there have been many sightings of life that would be unexpected. But then again even Central America is a long way for roaming...
Even the scissor-tailed flycatcher is one of those guys who aren't supposed to be in MO. In any birding book their area doesn't even touch Missouri, but they are all over the place...it has been close to fifteen or twenty years since they have taken up residency, I think.

Kind of neat to see something like that though. I wonder if it will survive the winter with all the coyotes.
Elizabeth

[Kevin Mac]

AAAHHHH! Escaped giant rodent is ready to wreak havock on the local flora and fauna. You must introduce some pirannahs immediatly into the local lakes and ponds. I saw a wildlife documentary once (many times) which showed the fish have an affinity for the fat giant Guinea pigs.

[samuel walker]

Good for you Pueo nice catch.Maybe next time you'll shoot the bird your after.
Sam