"About three years ago, we had a second hand report from Hunter Ranch Golf Course of a capybara in the lake system. That sighting was never verified," said Tognazzini. "The second sighting was a on a farm. The property owner called to report they had a capybara stealing alfalfa hay from their horses. The property owner came out, discharged a shotgun round at the capybara and didn't know whether or not they had hit it," he said. The species is native to South America leading experts to believe that this particular one might have been an illegal pet, or one that somehow escaped or was released from captivity._