It is with great sadness that I write this memoriam to babyJinxx Wren. I had a chance to meet him when he was little. Jackie allowed me and my friend Nancy to spend a couple of days at her house. We didn’t even pretend to be visiting her, we only had eyes for babyJinxx.
babyJixx was just a baby when Nancy and I met him but, like all capybaras, he grew. Unfortunately, Jinxx did not grow as quickly as he should have due to a series of illnesses as an infant. First he had pneumonia, and then diarrhea that took weeks to cure, and finally worms. Only Jackie’s persistence, diligence, love, and experience as a human nurse allowed babyJinxx to make it through those first couple of months.
Once he conquered those initial hurdles, he started to take off! He was up to about eleven pounds when I took that photo above. (That is Nancy photobombing.)
Jackie said that babyJinxx loved to go places, especially boating. He had his own tiny life jacket (I’ll bet it didn’t fit for long). Capybaras are excellent swimmers so it seems a bit overcautious. Still, not much cuter than a capy in a life vest.
Of course, part of Jinxx’s many travels – to deer camp, the river, school visits, radio and TV interviews – was sleeping during the drives there and back.If only those kids and TV viewers could have seen him sleeping! Love, love, love!
Jinxx was a friendly capybara, always willing to share his pool with a swimming pal. He also got to swim in a lake with his family, something most captive capybaras do not get the chance to do.
Of course, capybaras like mud as much as they like water! Jackie summarized one of her favorite memories like this: One day I was making him a mud puddle in the back yard. He got so excited that he ran a circle, hit me behind my knees and knocked me in the mud puddle!! What did we do??? My husband came home to find us wrestling in the mud puddle!!! We actually played in it for about 2 hours :).
Other favorite memories are of him sleeping between her and her husband, Jeff every night on his own pillow; Jeff singing lullabies and rocking him in the recliner to go to sleep even though he was too big for Jeff’s lap; letting the grandkids hold on to him while they swam and played with him in the pool.
babyJinxx will be terribly missed by his family and fans. His sudden death from colic (an obstructed or twisted intestine) has caused tremendous grief and loss. But our memories will keep him alive in our hearts and his photos will bring a smile to our faces.
Goodby babyJinxx. I am so sorry you never reached the 170 lbs that Jackie dreamed for you, but you did reach a lot of hearts.
