Jason's Fleece

While I was at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago I came across a Patagonian cavy or Patagonian mara as it is also called. 

Odd looking little beast and at least one person exclaimed with joy that they we were looking at a kangaroo, a miniature kangaroo. Someone else thought it was a very large rabbit, another a large rat.  I was not sure what it was but I knew it was not a rabbit nor a kangaroo. I decided upon further examination that it was one of those creatures GOD made out of leftover parts. HE did not want to waste anything. You know, like a hyena is made of leftover parts. Legs of coyotes and wolves, boar hair, leopard spots, parts leftover from other animals.  

The Patagonian cavy is a rodent. They are native to Southern and Central Argentina and Patagonia. They travel in mated pairs with the females in the lead and the males protecting the ck and sides of the herds from predators and gangs of rival males. They eat grasses, fruits and sleep. A lot. They breed once a year and have about three babies each litter. These youngsters and highly developed and are off on their own by month 6. They are raised in a communal warren much like wolves with one pair of adults as babysitters throughput the day.

These guys can hop like rabbits and gallop like deer. They communicate through sounds ranging from grunts to screams.

They also had Sichuan takin. It is a large goat like, antelope like, cow/ox looking mammal with a golden blonde fleece. 

They weigh about 600 pounds and are about 4 feet tall. Males and females both have horns, and they are found in parts of Tibet and China.  They prefer to live in dense bamboo thickets but are also very adept at maneuvering rocky cliffs. They have a thick undercoat which keeps them warm in winter and they move warm air into their lungs much like a moose.

Here is why I saved this creature for last. Remember the Sichuan takin has a golden blonde fleece. Do you recall who went looking for a golden fleece? Jason and his jolly band of Argonauts. 

                   Jason returns with the Golden Fleece, shown on an Apulian red-figure calyx krater, ca. 340–330 BC

The Golden Fleece is a symbol of kingship. Or was it a reference to the method of extracting gold from streams. Or was the Golden Fleece a very special book written about the secrets of Alchemy? Some even hint that the Golden Fleece is the forgiveness of GOD.

I hope you find your Golden Fleece today.