this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
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Giant modern herbivores I would willingly pet in the wild. Buffalo: no. Elephant: no. Reindeer: no. Rhino: no. Water buffalo: no. Giraffe: no. Hippo: no.
Based on modern examples, I’d stay the fuck away.
How do you feel about manatees?
Ooh...or a capybara?
100 pounds? Capybaras aren't anywhere near the size of my other examples. But I’d stay out of the water with a manatee. I don’t think a manatee would care about my existence, but I’d be fine with petting one while I’m on a boat and it’s in the water.
Giant is a relative term, w/r/t capybara.
Ah, I take your meaning now. It was a little blurred with the manatee. As recompense for my misunderstanding, here’s a giant grain of sand
Capybaras are awesome!
Petting a manatee is a $10,000 fine. No touch.
Yeah that’s the only thing that would keep me from swimming with on. Also that I hate swimming in murky water, reeds, or sea weed.
They're cool to swim with! Water's plenty clear where they hang. Ex-gf was a diver and had a side hustle taking people swimming with manatees near the warm springs where they post up for the winter.
They'll come right up on you! You just can't touch them. She even got a pic of a newborn! Like, a few minutes old newborn!
Wow neat. Maybe we’ll have to try it out someday. If Florida is still there by then.
I'd much rather turn a blind corner and find myself standing right in front of a grizzly mother with her cubs than a hippo or a moose.
There's a band of capibaras living in my city... they already killed 2 people.
Capybara are dangerous?! Do they kill by biting or what?
Yes, they bite.
The local news had to run a campaign for people not to try to pet the capibaras.
I need a source for this desparately