Wendall in the Wild: Capybaras are a thing - Who woulda thunk it?

It’s the biggest rodent in the world, eats its own poop, and has bristly fur. So, why would I have “cuddle with a capybara” on my bucket list? Because it’s a giant rodent that eats its own poop and has bristly fur. What is not to love about that?

It’s also cute as a button.

The capybara was on my bucket list decades before I knew there was such a thing as a bucket list. When I was a kid, I had a book about one, and ever since then, I had wanted to see one. On a trip to visit my parents in Florida, I finally got my chance, at The Capybara Café in St. Petersburg.

It’s just what it sounds like. You can go hang out with capybaras, and lots of other animals, most of whom were rescued or had been surrendered. The Capybara Café is the educational wing of Noah’s Ark Sanctuary. You can visit in the main lounge, where animals just roam around freely, or you can book a private encounter.

I booked a private encounter and took two friends along with me. We had a half-hour to visit with a “capy” named Latte. I sat on the floor, gave Latte kale to snack on, and giggled pretty much the whole time.

I was so into the experience, I forgot to shoot video for use with this column. I didn’t even ask if Latte was a boy or a girl. It’s one thing to watch a video about an animal you’ve never seen in real life before. It’s a whole other ballgame to have that animal sitting in your lap.

I was surprised by just how coarse Latte’s fur was, but it makes sense. Capybaras hail from Central and South America and are semi-aquatic herbivores. They need their fur to dry quickly. Their toes are partially webbed to help them swim.

And, the sheer size. Our guide said capybaras can grow up to 175 pounds or more. Imagine that. For comparison, my great Dane is only 130 pounds.

I was also surprised at just how calm Latte was. I’m used to dealing with voles and mice, who can’t get away from me quick enough. Latte sat on the couch with us.

As we were leaving, we walked through the main lounge, where two capys commandeered an entire couch for themselves for napping, ferrets were trying to figure out how to get out of their enclosure, a tortoise walked slowly by two chairs occupied by small goats, and a little white and black rooster wandered around.

Other animals you might see if you go there include macaws, bearded dragons, cockatiels, parrots, prairie dogs, and sugar gliders. You just never know.

Capybaras aren’t the only animals that eat their own poop, by the way. It’s not uncommon among herbivores because their food is hard to digest, and eating their poop is a way to extract more nutrients.

National Geographic puts it this way, “They also eat their own feces in the morning. That’s when their poo is protein rich from the high number of microbes digesting the previous day’s meals. Because the grasses they eat are so hard to digest, eating their waste essentially allows them to digest it twice.”

So, if you have a chance to check out The Capybara Café, don’t let that part deter you.

Wendall Waters hopes to see a great white shark in real life, and she would love to know, “What’s on your bucket list?”