Capybara and Clyde

For more than a month, the city of Toronto has been entertained by the story of one of the world's least likely fugitives.  Since May 24th, a 6-month-old capybara has been roaming the city's parks after escaping the zoo with a companion.  While the second capybara was recaptured, the other remained elusive, embarrassing zoo officials and city employees who tried to snag the sneaky rodent.

I can understand.  Capybara seem like they'd be hard to overlook - I mean, it's a guinea pig the size of sheep, for heaven's sake - but they can be extraordinarily stealthy.  They are low to the ground and are masters of sitting still.  They make very little noise.  They are inquisitive and have a nose for gates and doors.  And they can disappear in water, leaving only their eyes and ears protruding, like the world's furriest, most adorable little crocodiles.

Our zoo's capys have snuck out before, on more than one occasion.  In one case, we only found them when two visitors reported that they were strolling down the main path, stopping occasionally to nibble at the shrubbery.

I'd been following the news ever since it first broke... mostly to assure confused zoo visitors who thought that it was our capybara on the loose.  I was worried that efforts to collar the furry fugitive would fail, and that winter would claim him.  So glad to see him safe and back home!