A GIANT GUINEA PIG?

The other morning, I woke up, got ready to go, and made my way down the mountain that is the path to my cabin. All of a sudden, I hear a loud rustling in the bushes, which naturally made my pre-coffee brain backflip for a moment. The noise sounded like it came from an animal of significant size, at least that of an armadillo. I decided to investigate, despite the urge to run all the way down the hill to avoid the phantom creature. As I peered through the bushes, this furry animal was staring right at me, larger than a raccoon. The only way that I could describe it would be that it was a rodent, with the appearance of a giant guinea pig, with shorter, reddish-brown hair and long legs. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, but I have included some images that I later found online. Eventually, the animal got bored of staring at this curious human, and went on its way into the brush. I immediately asked the staff what this giant guinea pig was actually called. It turns out, what I saw is called an "Agouti". It is a rodent, native to the area, typically forest-dwelling mammals. I delved into the information available on the animals, and found that they are about 24 inches and 9 lbs, on average. I have to say, the one that I saw seemed much larger than that. In addition, the literature makes it look a lot like a tail-less squirrel, which is not what I saw. I say that the Turtle Bay Giant Guinea Pig is still a mystery to be uncovered.
-Aya

Encyclopaedia Brittanica Agouti Depiction: