Friday photo – the Capibara gets the bird – in Peru
February 6, 2009 by HeatherCowper
While she was staying at the Tambopata Ecolodge in Peru, my friend Joanne was relaxing in her hammock, while the rest of her party had gone off on a forest walk in search of the local wildlife. Her snooze was disturbed by a commotion of birds squawking and twittering and so she got up to investigate.
It turned out that a Capibara, a large rodent that lives in the rivers of South America, had hidden under a bush and then pounced out to catch a small bird. While he was munching his way through his tasty snack, more birds came swooping down to check where their friend had gone and a second one was grabbed and eaten by the Capibara.
When Joanne’s friends returned from their walk, they were amazed that she’d had a wildlife show play out in front of her eyes, without even leaving the lodge.
Have you have any unexpected encounters with wildlife while on your travels?
Related posts
A grown up backbacker at Machu Picchu
Meeting Margariette in Lima
Joanne’s cycle tour of Lima
See Joanne’s photos from her trip to Peru on Flickr
This is posted as part of Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. See all the other Friday photos at Delicious Baby
www.flickr.com
|
Don’t miss out – get all my articles through your reader
 |
Beth Whitman on Fri, 6th Feb 2009 4:54 pm
There’s so much that’s wrong with this story. First, it’s so sad to read about the little birdy.
Second – I WANNA be in the hammock!
Looking at all the lushness, however, I can almost feel the heat.
Angela Nickerson on Fri, 6th Feb 2009 8:28 pm
I’m with Beth — sad about the bird carnage (I know. I know — the circle of life blah blah blah). But what a view from a hammock. Pretty cool!
Peter Carey on Sat, 7th Feb 2009 2:40 am
I remember those rodents while in Peru. They always seemed so docile and we’d feed them walnuts.
I have been in those hammock and for that time, life is really, really good.
wandermom on Sat, 7th Feb 2009 2:54 am
I am NOT a fan of rodents. But I’m with Beth and Angela: what an awesome view from a hammock.
And as for wildlife stories while traveling: we took our kids to Coba on the Yucatan Peninsula a few years ago. What was intended to be a visit to Mayan ruins became a fascinating nature walk. Coba is in the jungle and the array of butterflies, insects and reptiles even in the 1-mile walk to/from the car park was incredible.
Jen@Heading North after Naptime on Sat, 7th Feb 2009 3:29 am
Very good pictures…I want to go to Peru so badly…I am living vicariously through your weekly pictures!
Dominique on Sat, 7th Feb 2009 7:39 am
My hammock’s safely rolled up and put away in the garage for the winter…
The most notable wildlife I see from my hammock are the squirrels who sit on the telephone lines along my backyard fence line and throw acorns down at me in my hammock. I don’t like those rodents, either!!
These are amazing shots
Motherofalltrips on Sun, 8th Feb 2009 3:37 am
The other day I watched a squirrel snatch the pine cones covered with peanut butter and bird seed that my children had put out for the birdies. First the squirrel (who was fat) just ate it on the branch but soon had to wrest it free and carry it away.
Of course, this story is much more exotic and involves a hammock, so I think you’ve got a definite edge on me! Very lush and green (if a little sad for the bird).
Carolina on Mon, 9th Feb 2009 4:13 am
It’s like a national geographic special on t.v.. A bit gruesome. I have been chased down by the capibara’s rodent friends in the states: the fierce squirrels. Also a bit frightening.
Olga on Tue, 10th Feb 2009 2:03 am
Hi Heather,
I’m a new reader of your blog and I’m looking forward to catching up on your travels.
What a thing to have caught in the act! Capibara are adorable, but I had no idea that they eat small birds. This reminds me when I was sunbathing in Mexico and I was surprised by a passing iguana. He decided to stroll by about a foot from me!
admin on Tue, 10th Feb 2009 8:20 am
I may be heartless, but I confess I didn’t give that little bird much of a thought initially, but I suppose it is a little sad that there’s nothing left of him but his tail!
Bey on Sat, 14th Feb 2009 5:18 am
That’s actually an agouti:
and I’ve seen them get as big as a young hippo!
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/9434/agouti
Thats crazy …I thought they were docile little grass munchers …who’da thunk :/
Capybara: http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/
actually are the worlds largest rodent and they are quite the cuties
I’m a bird dude and I find that very interesting. I actually saw a squirrel eating a titmouse in central park one cold winter …desperate times calls for desperate measures :O
Relaxing in the rainforest at the Tambopata Ecolodge - in Peru : Heather on her travels on Tue, 24th Mar 2009 7:30 pm
[...] Once they had arrived and settled in, they were taken on a night walk, with the sounds of the rainforest all around them. The next day, they were taken by boat to visit a nearby ox-bow lake with some Pihrana spotting thrown in, and guess what – it poured again. After returning to the lodge to dry off, Joanne was chilling in her hammock when she spotted a wildlife drama unfolding before her. A large capibara, a native rodant had hidden under a bush and was catching and eating the little birds that landed nearby, causing plenty of squawking and commotion. Read about it here in my previous article – the Capibara gets the bird. [...]
Acne Remedy on Mon, 18th Oct 2010 4:44 am
we always use sunflowers as our bird seed:-*