Brazil is the center of the sports world this month. Brazil is also where some of Earth’s most excellent animals live. I think this is good. Golf -- the most wildlife-ridden sport -- is also in the Olympics. As SB Nation’s most enthusiastic supporter of golf animals, I see the potential for some great moments this month:
Rio’s Olympic golf course is teeming with wild capybaras
A summary, via the National Post:
The new Olympic Golf course is home to some unusual wildlife, including capybaras — the largest species of rodent in the world, which are a slightly cuter version of those horrible creatures from The Princess Bride.
They can reach 60 centimetres in height and can weigh up to 150 lbs.
“They chew down on the grass at night,” says Mark Johnson, director of international agronomy for the PGA Tour, “There are about 30-40 of them inside the course perimeter, but they live here and we play golf here, we co-exist.”
There are also three-toed sloths, monkeys, boa constrictors and caimans, a small crocodile that doesn’t usually grow beyond five feet in length. They frequent holes 2, 3, 5 and 9.
This is all good. Golf sloths are great. Golf reptiles are good at a distance. Golf marmosets are obviously wonderful. GOLF CAPYBARAS, THOUGH. 40 OF THEM. I’ll have you know that SB Nation’s Rodger Sherman is headed to Rio for the games, and he is on strict assignment to hug a golf capybara before he leaves.
Anyhow, Brazil’s last moment in the sports spotlight mostly just gave us huge bugs, which was disappointing, so I’m very excited for the potential on the golf course.
