14/09/2023
❗️Patagonian Mara (Luigi)Safe @ Home!❗️
I want to let everyone know that the little critter you saw in yesterdays runaway post does in fact belong to me and he is home safe and sound. He resides with us at The Little Country Farm where we provide mobile petting zoo opportunities for the community.
He is a Patagonian Mara which is in the rodent family that originates in Argentina. He himself was born and raised in captivity and his name is Luigi.
Yesterday morning he decided he wanted to take a stroll after digging out from underneath the enclosure. I was away from home at the time and was unaware he had escaped. That is when my neighbor/stepmother Melissa Rymer found him on the road and she followed him in her car with her dog barking driving him about a half mile from his home. Other neighbors began calling to see if he belonged to me and let us know that he was being followed by the car. My husband and I made arrangements to go directly to our farm and find him. At that time we were not aware that there was a Facebook post up about his escape. Due to privacy settings we were unable to see any of the original Facebook posts until it grew so quickly that people began calling and messaging us privately about the situation.
He made his way back home to the farm last night by following the food trail we left out for him. We were able to catch him this morning and get him situated with some fresh food/water. He is currently separated from his other Mara friends until he has settled back in for a couple days and we feel he is ready to go back in with the herd. His escape route has since been fixed and secured to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Patagonian maras are able to run up to 30 miles an hour, jump up to 6 feet, and dig out very easily. They are very incredible creatures and we enjoy having them on our farm to share and educate visitors about them. Thank you all for your concern for his safety and well being. If anyone has any further comments or questions feel free to email us at [email protected].
Blessings,
Jessica & Matthew Boles
The Little Country Farm Mobile Petting Zoo