this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 54 points 3 days ago (3 children)

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.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 17 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (3 children)

How do you feel about manatees?

Ooh...or a capybara?

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 21 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Giant is a relative term, w/r/t capybara.

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago

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

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 12 points 3 days ago

Capybaras are awesome!

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Petting a manatee is a $10,000 fine. No touch.

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

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.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

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!

[–] anomnom@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Wow neat. Maybe we’ll have to try it out someday. If Florida is still there by then.

[–] mech@feddit.org 14 points 3 days ago

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.

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

There's a band of capibaras living in my city... they already killed 2 people.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Capybara are dangerous?! Do they kill by biting or what?

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

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