July « 2011 « Capybara Madness

Lumpy Gari

A swarm of vets/vet students invaded my pool

Last Tuesday Melly felt a strange lump in my side while we were swimming. The lump was about as big as a golf ball and positioned just where my right hind leg joins my body. I think that part of me is called my “flank” but I’m not sure. Melly shot an email out to Dr. Hoppes, my vet at Texas A&M University in College Station, and asked her about it. She said she was coming to Austin on Thursday anyway so why not drop in and check it out. (This story has a horrible surprise ending so be sure to keep reading.)

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Bouncing Baby Brits!

Baby capy at Howletts Wild Animal Park (photo from Zoo Borns)

Howletts Wild Animal Park is now home to a clutter of baby capybara! Check out the adorable photos on Zoo Borns. Howletts is near Canterbury, England so if you are in that part of the world, get over and see them. And send me some photos!

Walk & Roll

The road less traveled (at least by me)

I’ve been a pretty sheltered capybara most of my life and this has taught me a few things. Firstly, I do not like to travel in cars. Cars go to the vet and the vet is scary. Sometimes cars go nowhere and you end up right back where you started. This is also scary because you don’t know that’s going to happen until a human opens the car door and lets you get out. Secondly, I learned that fear is kind of exciting. I am afraid of new things and new places and yet I crave them. It’s a paradox that I cannot resolve. I want to go outside the yard but I am sure I am going to be eaten by a monster if I do. Melly and Rick are both determined that I become accustomed to both of these things: car rides and the wide world. This morning they decided to give me another lesson in it.

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Gregarious Gari

Me and the vets

If you have been following my exploits (and I think you’d better have a darned good excuse if you haven’t been), then you know that I recently went to the small animal clinic at Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, Texas to have some abscesses removed. Just to refresh your memory, Melly blogged about it here. After ten days, I was supposed to have my stitches taken out. Considering how stressful the drive was for me and the fact that Dr. Hoppes and her team had to come to Austin to take care of a zoo lion anyway, we all decided a house call was in order.

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