The capivara, a large rodent, is one of the prominent residents of the Rio golf course.
The 2016 Summer Olympics officially start today, but now Rio can add one more entry to its growing list of problems. Luckily, this one is kinda cute.
According to the Golf Channel, the golf course for the games has become a popular hangout spot for some of Brazil’s wildlife. So far they have spotted three-toed sloths, monkeys, boa constrictors, ground-nesting owls, caimans (a smaller relative of the crocodile), and capybaras chilling on the Olympic venue.
When the course was built last year, naturalists were worried about the effect that encroaching on the nearby Marapendi nature reserve would have on the animals.
Capybaras, which are the largest rodents in the world and can weigh up to 150 pounds, are among the biggest problems for golfers since they feed on the greens. “They chew down on the grass at night,” Mark Johnson, the director of international agronomy for the PGA Tour, explained to the National Post.
- Guardian