The Fredericksburg Chupacabra?

I hope you and yours had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! Thank you to all who have served or are serving this great country. Our freedom exists today because of you and your sacrifice. For that I am grateful and humbled by your generosity, bravery, and commitment.

Josh and I had a busy and fun weekend. We had a blast seeing family, friends, and getting quite a bit done.

Saturday we traveled to the Fredericksburg ranch to check on the Belties, visit our precious niece, Lilly, and bro and sis-in-law, and spend a little down time in the river cooling off. It was a fun, relaxing, and very chill day. Much needed and appreciated!

On the way home from the ranch, just as we pulled off of the gravel road and onto the pavement I glanced out my window and saw the strangest creature walking in an empty field along the road. I did a double take trying to catch a better glimpse of what it was I had spotted but our truck whirled past the field in a split second. The creature looked like an enormous rabbit but with really long legs...it had more of a rounded nose...but with pointy ears and this rabbit/deer animal didn't hop, he was just walking...was I seeing things?

I had a couple of Coronas but that was hours ago...what in the world? Josh definitely thought the sun had gotten to me and that our river time had obviously taken it's toll on my mind.

I convinced him to turn the truck around to investigate. After a quick U-turn, we pulled up next to the empty field that I had spotted the 1/2 rabbit, 1/2 deer, non-hopping, almost hairless, and definitely tailless animal. And there he stood, chillin in field, just munching on grass. What was he? He wasn't spooky or skiddish as we got out to take photos of him. This was the oddest animal in Fredericksburg, Texas of all places. Josh, my mom, and I all took guesses at what he could be...a mutated rabbit, some exotic rodent, a much prettier version of the fabled South Texas Chupacabra? Surely not. His lack of concern about our presence allowed us to snap loads of photos of him. We wanted to document our unknown creature well...it isn't everyday that you see a totally new and very strange creature in Fredericksburg.

So, there he sat...




We finally left our mystery friend after about 45 minutes of photos, guessing games, hollering to get his attention, and total amazement at his odd looking body. We arrived home late and went to bed with our nameless creature on our mind.

Upon waking on Sunday we began to investigate over coffee what our mystery friend could be. After slowly clicking through the picture files of mammals on the internet...LOTS AND LOTS of photos...Josh came across our mystery friend and was able to quickly identify him.

He's the Patagonian Mara. What!?!?


Yes, the Patagonian Mara from Argentina.

I couldn't believe that I didn't recognize him?! I always get my Maras confused. Ha.


According to Wikipedia, he's a relatively large rodent living in Central and Southern Argentina. He eats grasses and other vegetation and mates for life (my kind of Mara!). Maras are often kept in zoos or are kept as exotic pets and are very social when raised by humans.

Obviously this Fredericksburg Mara was once a pet (or this is just one crazy traveling Mara). He must have escaped or was set free to roam the rolling hill country.











So, we didn't photograph the legendary Chupacabra...but we did find the legendary and slightly less known Fredericksburg Mara.

I do hope he continues to travel west a mile or so. The Belties would gladly welcome him with open hooves to their grassy pasture.

So welcome, Mr. Patagonian Mara. It was a pleasure seeing you. I do hope you hang around these parts.