Three Patagonian maras were being reported in Summerville, South Carolina, during April of 2009. One is pictured above in these Post-Courier photographs.

Now reporter Mike Gellatly writes today of a “strange animal sighted in the Aiken area” in South Carolina.

It seems to be a Patagonian mara or hare or cavy (Dolichotis patagonum). It was spotted around the outskirts of the Savannah River Site. Five years ago, a very similar animal was spotted in the same area.

We saw it in North Augusta on our way… back towards Evans. There was just one, running down the side of the road. We thought it was a dog, a big Chihuahua maybe. When we got close it ran into ditch, but it came back up on the road. We had no clue (what it was). We came home and tried to Google anything I could think of. We thought it looked something like a rabbit, a deer or a kangaroo. But nothing like it came up,

said Lori Smith, who, along with her family, spotted the animal on May 20, 2009.

I have not seen the photograph yet of the Patagonian mara taken by the Smith family.

Thank You.