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Wild About Animals - Capybaras

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A look at the capybara, the world's largest rodent species - the size of a sheep, with teeth shaped like a rabbit's and a bark like a dog. Capybaras live in South America and spend much of their life in the water, diving under for minutes at a time. We meet Carla at a few days old in a Venezuelan swamp. She's been under threat from vultures since birth but finds little refuge in the swamp when she and her littermates start to swim. These waters harbour the capybaras' main predator - caimans. We follow Carla's adventures as she gets lost in a forest, and plays in the muddy waters of the swamp. When the dry season sets in, the family have to make a long trek to find water and grass to eat. Carla survives these hardships and is a healthy six-month old by the time the rains come, which brings relief to the family.