I have a new blog post featuring this photo and explaining how Garibaldi Rous loves to play in the pool. You can find it here if you are interested.

Caplin Rous sleeping on the couch.

This is 9-month-old Caplin Rous sitting on couch with his rabbit friend Seabiscuit.

It’s not easy to get a capybara in-frame when shooting an underwater photo.

Another view of Garibaldi Rous playing with Rick. That capy really likes to be upside down. 

When the pool is clean, I try to take as many photos of Gari swimming as possible. He is so cute & funny when he’s in the water!

Dive, Gari! Dive!

Garibaldi Rous soaking up the afternoon sun.

This walked through my house today. On his way, he shook himself off, getting mud all over the walls in the hallway, rubbed against a chair and a couch and sat down in two places on the carpet. Garibaldi Rous, why do I still love you?

Carl Johnson III did this wonderful painting of Garibaldi Rous.

Portrait of a capybara. (Garibaldi Rous)

Capybaras are very strong and they can be stubborn. In this photo, my friend Ashutosh Moghe (I’m putting his full name here to embarrass him), finds that he is not strong enough to wrangle Garibaldi Rous. If you think about it, Ashu weighs, let’s say, 145 lbs and Gari weighs 115 lbs. But Ashu is all stretched out and balanced precariously on two legs whereas Gari is neatly compact, with a very low center of gravity and four very strong legs on large paws. Plus, Ashu is just weak.

This is what a happy capybara looks like. It’s Garibaldi Rous’ stomach during a brief pause during a scratching session.

Garibaldi Rous on his way to the pool.

Like all rodents, capybaras engage in coprophagy to facilitate digestion of cellulose. They don’t just eat any poop though, they’re not dogs, they eat special pellets that are produced in the morning hours. This is the first time I’ve managed to photograph it.