LAKEWOOD, Colo. — The exotic creature, later identified as a Patagonian mara, that was spotted at a Lakewood park in July has not been seen since then and has likely died, an official said on Tuesday morning.
A park naturalist with Bear Creek Lake Park, where the animal was last seen, posted on the park’s Facebook page to share the news.
Submitted to Denver7 “The mara was illegally released into the park sometime just before the 4th of July,” the post reads. “We had several reports from park users and staff, as well as photos and videos of these encounters. After consulting with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, we determined that the mara was likely the product of the illegal pet trade as it was very docile and not easily startled by humans or other wildlife.”
In early July , both Amber Thill, operations manager for the City of Lakewood’s Community Resources Department, and Kara Van Hoose with CPW told Denver7 that their departments received multiple reports about the animal from both rangers and park visitors.