Two Playful Baby Capybara Babies Arrive at Zoo Wroclaw
August 27, 2020
Two capybaras were born in front of visitors to Poland’s Zoo Wroclaw on Sunday, August 23. They are the first babies of this species born here since 2014. The reason for the long break was the zoo’s 7-year-old female Kiler J. After many failed attempts to pair her with a suitable mate, she finally chose 3-year-old Hans as her partner. The sex of the pups is not yet known, but caretakers say that if at least one pup is female, she will be named for the visitor who first reported the birth.
The capybara (Latin Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent in the world. Males reach a body weight of about 30 kg. In the wild, its range is almost all of South America.
If it resembles a guinea pig, that’s because the species are closely related.
The capybara population in the wild is currently stable, but in South America, soybean cultivation threatens its natural habitat. Like all wild animals, Capybaras make terrible pets.