Escaped capybara spotted wandering loose in Missouri

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- A Missouri resident said she was shocked during a recent drive when she spotted an unusual animal: a loose capybara, the world's largest living rodent.

Christine Ziarkowski said she was driving on Horseshoe Bend, in the Lake of the Ozarks area, when she spotted the animal near the Blue Cat Lodge.

"I was driving and I saw it on the side of the road. At first I thought it was a dog or cat but when I circled around I saw that it was a capybara," Ziarkowski told LakeExpo.

Capybaras are the world's largest living rodents and are native to South America.

Ziarkowski's husband, Bruce, posted about the sighting on Facebook, and received a comment from Anetka Borowski, the animal's owner.

Borowski said the capybara escaped from a pen on her property.

The female pet, named Capy, had left the area before Borowski could attempt to recapture her.

Borowski asked anyone who spots Capy to message her on Facebook instead of trying to capture her themselves.