Extremely Rare and Exotic ‘Giant Rabbit’ Spotted in Colorado

One of the things that makes Colorado such a great place is the massive diversity of wildlife here.

Colorado has 960 different species of animals and our state has one of the most varied wildlife populations in the entire country.

Colorado is a wildlife haven. A recent animal sighting has been reported across the nation because of how incredibly rare it is.

'Giant Rabbit' Found in Colorado

Fox 31 reports that a Patagonian Mara was discovered at Bear Creek Lake Park recently.

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The park, about 15 minutes away from Denver, was incredibly surprised about the Patagonian Mara's appearance.

There are no reports as to how or when the Patagonian Mara arrived at Bear Creek Lake Park. The rodent is naturally found in Argentina, which leads Colorado Parks and Wildlife to believe that the rare rodent was a pet that was accidentally lost.

Here is how the Atlanta Zoo describes the Patagonian Mara.

Patagonian maras are not your typical rodents. Their bodies are like those of hoofed animals, while their legs and ears are like a hares, but their faces look like one of their closest relatives, the capybara.

Here is what Patagonian Maras look like.

About the Patagonian Mara

The Patagonian Mara looks really cool. On average they are 27 inches long and can weigh anywhere between 17 and 35 pounds. They are practically harmless and can live up to 14 years. Patagonian Mara's are herbivores, meaning their diet consists of grass, seeds, and fruit.

The experts at Colorado Parks and Wildlife have not caught the rare animal yet, but they are trying to with a series of humane traps.