Serpo
20th November 2014, 06:14 PM
One man and his giant rat: Cuban couple tame massive rodent
Some people keep guinea pigs or hamsters as pets. But in Cuba, where a larger, more exotic rodent runs wild, Ana Pedraza and her husband prefer the hutia.
With a rope-like tail and long front teeth, the hutia grows more than half a metre in length, weighs the same as a dog and has the appearance of a giant rat.
Now Mrs Pedraza and her husband Rafael Lopez have made it their mission to save the maligned creatures - by domesticating them with kisses, car rides and nips of rum.
Scroll down for video
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/234FBEB800000578-2841563-Mr_Lopez_calls_the_hutia_a_precious_curious_and_ve ry_intelligent-8_1416501062662.jpg
Rafael Lopez steadies a rum bottle as his pet hutia Pancho takes a sip while balancing on his back feet
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/234FC61400000578-2841563-Mr_Lopez_calls_the_hutia_a_precious_curious_and_ve ry_intelligent-9_1416501062717.jpg
Mr Lopez calls the hutia 'a precious, curious and very intelligent little animal'. Here Pancho is pictured perched on top of Mr Lopez's car
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7MaHtI-HSK1-2841563-Congui_a_domesticated_hutia_rides_on_the_front_doo r_of_an_Americ-16_1416498659678.jpg
Congui, a domesticated hutia, rides on the front door of the classic car driven by Mr Lopez
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7GqQ5DHSK2-2841563-Rafael_Lopez_sticks_out_his_tongue_infused_with_ru m_for_his_pet_-15_1416498656352.jpg
Rafael Lopez sticks out his tongue infused with rum for his pet hutia, called Pancho, in Bainoa, Cuba
The couple say they only want to want to protect and take care of the animals, which are often killed for food on the Caribbean islands to which they are endemic.
They began collecting hutias about five years ago when they found one languishing on a roadside and named her Congui.
Not long after, they found her a mate and now have more than a half-dozen hutias in their home, about 25 miles east of the capital, Havana.
The couple claim Congui and her family like to drink sweetened coffee and munch on crackers and vegetables.
Congui's son Pancho also enjoys an occasional nip of rum - which is delivered to him on the tongue of Mr Lopez.
While some hutias can be aggressive, the couple claim they have found the huge rodents to be wonderful companions.
Mr Lopez called the hutia 'a precious, curious and very intelligent little animal'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7MuOuF-HSK1-2841563-Pancho_is_the_son_of_the_couple_s_first_pet_hutia_ Here_he_is_pic-25_1416499711071.jpg
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2841563/Cuban-couple-keeps-rodents-called-hutias-pets.html#ixzz3JfIjWOF8
Some people keep guinea pigs or hamsters as pets. But in Cuba, where a larger, more exotic rodent runs wild, Ana Pedraza and her husband prefer the hutia.
With a rope-like tail and long front teeth, the hutia grows more than half a metre in length, weighs the same as a dog and has the appearance of a giant rat.
Now Mrs Pedraza and her husband Rafael Lopez have made it their mission to save the maligned creatures - by domesticating them with kisses, car rides and nips of rum.
Scroll down for video
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/234FBEB800000578-2841563-Mr_Lopez_calls_the_hutia_a_precious_curious_and_ve ry_intelligent-8_1416501062662.jpg
Rafael Lopez steadies a rum bottle as his pet hutia Pancho takes a sip while balancing on his back feet
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/234FC61400000578-2841563-Mr_Lopez_calls_the_hutia_a_precious_curious_and_ve ry_intelligent-9_1416501062717.jpg
Mr Lopez calls the hutia 'a precious, curious and very intelligent little animal'. Here Pancho is pictured perched on top of Mr Lopez's car
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7MaHtI-HSK1-2841563-Congui_a_domesticated_hutia_rides_on_the_front_doo r_of_an_Americ-16_1416498659678.jpg
Congui, a domesticated hutia, rides on the front door of the classic car driven by Mr Lopez
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7GqQ5DHSK2-2841563-Rafael_Lopez_sticks_out_his_tongue_infused_with_ru m_for_his_pet_-15_1416498656352.jpg
Rafael Lopez sticks out his tongue infused with rum for his pet hutia, called Pancho, in Bainoa, Cuba
The couple say they only want to want to protect and take care of the animals, which are often killed for food on the Caribbean islands to which they are endemic.
They began collecting hutias about five years ago when they found one languishing on a roadside and named her Congui.
Not long after, they found her a mate and now have more than a half-dozen hutias in their home, about 25 miles east of the capital, Havana.
The couple claim Congui and her family like to drink sweetened coffee and munch on crackers and vegetables.
Congui's son Pancho also enjoys an occasional nip of rum - which is delivered to him on the tongue of Mr Lopez.
While some hutias can be aggressive, the couple claim they have found the huge rodents to be wonderful companions.
Mr Lopez called the hutia 'a precious, curious and very intelligent little animal'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/20/6UD7MuOuF-HSK1-2841563-Pancho_is_the_son_of_the_couple_s_first_pet_hutia_ Here_he_is_pic-25_1416499711071.jpg
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2841563/Cuban-couple-keeps-rodents-called-hutias-pets.html#ixzz3JfIjWOF8