ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — While people in Punxsutawney are celebrating the groundhog this week, right here in Tampa Bay, folks are trying to promote another cute, furry rodent.
They’re called Capybaras, the largest rodent in the world, and soon there’s going to be a sanctuary dedicated to them in St. Pete and the community can help build it.
“They can get up to 150 pounds, which is mind-blowing because you see them and you think they are already huge,” said Brianna Holzerland.
Over the past year, Holzerland has adopted three Capybaras, but she’ll be the first to point out, they aren’t pets: they’re part of a new non-profit organization.
“We wanted to create an environment for them where when guests walk in and interact and feed them, they feel like they went into the Amazon,” said Holzerland.
They call the sanctuary Capy Cove. They’re currently in the process of raising enough money to build it in downtown St. Pete.
“And the feature that I’m really really excited about is we are going to have a grotto,” said Holzerland. “They are semi-aquatic animals; they can hold their breath up to five minutes at a time, that is why if you look at their feet, they have very webbed toes.”
Holzerland, who holds a class three wildlife permit, says the goal is to educate the public while at the same time providing a therapeutic experience.
“You can just sit here with them and watch them roll around, kiss them, love them, feed them, so it’s something that at the end of the day you can sit down, decompress and just spend 30 minutes feeling like you are part of the earth again,” said Holzerland.
To help raise money and awareness for their mission, Brianna has teamed up with Kawah Coffee on Gandy Boulevard in Tampa to offer daily Capybara encounters.
“They are very sweet and docile and just majestic, they are kind of like mythical creatures you would never get to see normally,” said one visitor.
“It’s amazing, I always wanted to meet one of these in person, so having the opportunity in Tampa Bay, I didn’t know it was there,” said another visitor.
“If you’ve never been around any of these its well worth checking them out just seeing how cool some of the other creatures on earth are,” said a third visitor.
The encounters cost $40 for 30 minutes and include a free coffee, with all proceeds going back to building Capy Cove, which they hope to officially open this summer.
Capybara encounter hours are Monday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“We really wanted to cater this to wildlife conservation and something everyone can appreciate,” said Holzerland.
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