“He sounds like an old-school Atari video game!!”
Walking through The Pipsqueakery, it’s not uncommon to hear a chorus of different animal calls echoing throughout the property. The animal rescue and sanctuary in Bloomington, Indiana, is home to hundreds of rescued wildlife, from capybara to beavers, each with their own unique cries.
But one rare creature’s voice stands out from the rest due to its unlikely — and, frankly, baffling — sound.
When Greg joined the Pipsqueakery family as a relinquished former pet, he wasn’t the first Patagonian mara to grace the grounds. A herd of maras — usually only found in South America — had recently been rescued from a farm in Indiana and was already living at the sanctuary.
The previously rescued maras, including a girl named Kirby, were relatively independent and preferred not to spend too much time with people. But Greg was different: He loved his caregivers.
“Greg is very into humans, so long as he isn’t anxiously attacking everyone,” Alex Hernly, The Pipsqueakery’s founder and director, told The Dodo. “Kirby is pretty feral and will likely never love us.”
While Kirby and the rest of the gang steered clear of human interaction, Greg always ran head-first toward his caregivers. As soon as he’d get his long-awaited head scritches, he’d start squealing in delight.
“Ever heard a happy [Patagonian] mara?” The Pipsqueakery wrote on Facebook.
The Pipsqueakery’s social media followers enjoyed seeing Greg get so excited. But they quickly noticed his squeaks sounded a bit … unusual.
“He sounds like an old-school Atari video game!!” Sheri Ewing Young wrote in a Facebook comment. “I love it!!”
For follower Alden Mahier Levine, Greg’s voice sounded more like a cross between two other fuzzy creatures.
“Omg, the noises are a cross between [a] beaver and [a] guinea pig!” Mahier Levine wrote in a comment on Facebook.
You can hear Greg’s squeals here:
As Hernly sees it, Mahier Levine’s guess isn’t too far off.
“To me, he sounds like the capybaras and guinea pigs who are closely related to him,” Hernly said. “I admit I pretty much only think about animals, though, because my life is consumed by them.”
While everyone has differing opinions on what Greg’s voice sounds like, one thing’s for sure: He brings joy to everyone who hears it. And there’s bound to be more squeals of happiness from Greg in the future, as he may have found his one true love in Kirby, the independent mara.
“[She’s] Greg’s new girlfriend,” Hernly said.
Maras mate for life. And while Greg and Kirby haven’t officially become a bonded pair yet, they’re getting closer each day. Kirby is still recovering from her sad past, and Greg is helping her through it, one happy squeak at a time.
“They’ve been enjoying their honeymoon and their time together,” The Pipsqueakery wrote.
