SAN DIEGO (July 25, 2023) — The San Diego Zoo has welcomed four capybara pups, born to second-time mother Rosalina and first-time father Bowie on July 23, 2023. Capybaras are precocial—meaning they’re more mature and mobile at birth—so, the four youngsters are already nursing and following mom. Despite their scientific name Hydrochoerus, which means “water hog,” capybaras are not pigs—they are the world’s largest rodent. They are related to guinea pigs, hamsters and mice. Capybaras are found in Central and South America, where they roam swampy, grassy regions bordering rivers, ponds, streams and lakes. The capybara is not currently classified as an endangered species, although it is threatened by deforestation, habitat destruction and illegal poaching. The capybara youngsters are at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey, alongside the Baird’s tapir.