After a 112-year absence from the Olympic games, golf is making a comeback in Rio de Janeiro. But as competitors hit the links they are being joined by unlikely companions. The course is being overrun by capybaras, the largest rodents in the world.
As Olympic golfers wander the course to get the feel of the place, so too are the giant rodents. But it appears that the players are not too alarmed … at least not yet. Many have been tweeting their amusement at the presence of the blunt-mawed creatures.
The capybara is a semi-aquatic rodent native to South America that can grow to two-feet tall and can weigh as much as 100 pounds. These creatures are generally a docile species and not very dangerous for humans.
“They chew down on the grass at night,” PGA Tour spokesman Mark Johnson said. “There are about 30-40 of them inside the course perimeter, but they live here and we play golf here, we co-exist.”
There are also several other types of wildlife taking over the course, according to Canada’s National Post.
Owls, three-toed sloths, boa constrictors, and even caimans also infest the grounds.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.