The wonderful inhabitants of South American Pampas, two males of Patagonian maras, became the new residents of the Regional Landscape Park.
“The Patagonian maras arrived in Feldman Ecopark according to the exchange programme. They are roughly two years old, they are healthy, and are currently in quarantine. The visitors will be able to see them in spring. For now, the animals are a little nervous in the new unusual situation and are rather afraid of people around them. However, they gradually adapt to the situation and get used to the keepers,” Valeriia Ivashchenko, Feldman Ecopark’s deputy director of zootechnics tells.
The Patagonian mara is one of the biggest rodents on the planet. The body length reaches 70-75cm. It weighs up to 10-16kg. Their habitat is the Pampas, the wide steppes covering mainly the subtropical area of South America. These animals are very light-footed being able to gain speed up to 30kmh and make almost 2 metre jumps. They have distinctive appearance because of the forefeet, which are a little shorter than the hind feet. Their pelage is a little brownish on the top, reddish-brown on the sides, white on the belly and black on the sacrum. The maras are active in the daytime, when they are grouped together to eat. The animals are easily tamed, they are often kept in zoos and as domestic animals.
