Westerleighs wild guinea pig needs your help | Nature Calls [Video]

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — First deer, then turkeys, now wild guinea pigs?

Staten Island is home to an array of wildlife and Advance/SILive.com news manager James Yates recently encountered a wild guinea pig near his home in Westerleigh.

“My wife thought it was a rabbit out there on our neighbors’ lawn,” he said. “But it had really long hair and didn’t have [rabbit] ears. That’s when I took the video.”

“It’s most likely a pet that got away or was let go,” said Dr. Lynsey Rinelli, an exotic pet veterinarian. She added that the animal isn’t particularly a threat to pets as they don’t carry rabies like some other species might.

“It’s either a Peruvian or a long-haired guinea pig which is pretty sought after in the pet world, which is why I lean more toward it being someone’s runaway pet.”

Rinelli added that the rodent, which has been sighted …