World's largest rodent spotted on golf course in Essex
A capybara, the world's largest rodent, has been spotted wandering around on a golf course in Essex.
The capybara was spotted near the 8th tee at the North Weald Golf Club in Essex, reports ninemsn.com.au.
One couple first reported the sighting as a "wild boar" meandering around the pond.
But another member, Stefan Freeman, identified it as a capybara.
Angus Lloyd-Skinner, assistant manager at the North Weald golf club, near Epping, Essex, told the Metro: "A group reported seeing a giant rodent on the eighth and when we went to investigate we saw this huge creature the size of a small dog.
"We didn't know what it was until one member identified it as an Argentinian capybara. We have no idea what it's doing on the course."
It turned out the animal has escaped from nearby Ashlyns Farm Shop, and it is reportedly proving rather difficult to catch.
The capybara, as mentioned above, is the largest rodent in the world, followed by the beaver, porcupine, and mara. Its closest relatives are guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, chinchillas, and the coypu.
Native to South America, the capybara inhabits savannahs and dense forests and lives near bodies of water.
It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually lives in groups of 10 to 20 individuals.
Capybaras are herbivores and live mainly on grasses and aquatic plants,as well as fruit and tree bark.
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