WASHINGTON — The determined large rodent who briefly escaped his cage at the Smithsonian National Zoo last month has died. Zoo officials say Macadamia the agouti, a South American rodent about the size of a large house cat, died Monday while receiving veterinary treatment after zookeepers realized something was wrong with him. Officials say Macadamia's escape was not a factor in his death. They say his habit of skittering around his habitat may have led to a head or neck injury, The Washington Post reports. Macadamia chewed his way out of an enclosure July 15. Staffers found a hole in the stainless-steel mesh of the outdoor habitat. Staffers kept Macadamia in sight while herding him into a contained space within 30 minutes and the hole in his enclosure was patched. — AP
