It's Baby Capybara Season Once Again
June 2, 2022 9:12 AM Subscribe
Metafilter welcomes the Baby Capybara Class of 2022 (so far). Most recently: a quartet of capybara babies have arrived at Vienna's Schönbrunn Zoo. Further capybabies inside.
Houston, Texas recently welcomed a pair of tiny capybaras named Bruno and Pepa.
In January a set of four capybaras appeared at Odense Zoo and, like all capybaras, took to swimming with grace and skill.
A Christmas gift: two capybara pups appeared at Exmore Zoo of the UK.
Houston, Texas recently welcomed a pair of tiny capybaras named Bruno and Pepa.
In January a set of four capybaras appeared at Odense Zoo and, like all capybaras, took to swimming with grace and skill.
A Christmas gift: two capybara pups appeared at Exmore Zoo of the UK.
Their little faces. And their solid little bodies. All creatures are wondrous and unique, but capybaras sometimes give me that feline vibe, utterly self-possessed. I suppose it is because their facial muscles limit the range of facial expressions so I am projecting all sorts of emotions and thoughts into them. Also their eyelids give them a slightly sleepy aspect in my opinion.
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:31 AM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:31 AM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
Also here's story time with the picture book Capybaras (by Alfredo Soderguit) with Mr. Karl, librarian.
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:35 AM on June 2, 2022
posted by spamandkimchi at 9:35 AM on June 2, 2022
HAPPYBARAS!
posted by humbug at 9:52 AM on June 2, 2022 [17 favorites]
posted by humbug at 9:52 AM on June 2, 2022 [17 favorites]
so chill
posted by Going To Maine at 9:52 AM on June 2, 2022
posted by Going To Maine at 9:52 AM on June 2, 2022
Rodents with a great PR team.
posted by fairmettle at 9:58 AM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 9:58 AM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
The absolute chill of capys sitting in hot springs will forever be my aspirational lifestyle.
posted by msbutah at 10:10 AM on June 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by msbutah at 10:10 AM on June 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
The world's largest--and most chill--rodents. I want to hug one, and it would probably put up with it.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:04 AM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:04 AM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
My favourite capybara baby story.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:50 AM on June 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 11:50 AM on June 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
The last times they will ever run. The feature I love most, except for the chill, is how their snouts are perfect rectangles. Well, maybe not perfect.
I'd love to have one as a pet, and I'm not sure they'd be difficult beyond finding a good vet.
posted by rhizome at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2022
I'd love to have one as a pet, and I'm not sure they'd be difficult beyond finding a good vet.
posted by rhizome at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2022
the tiny pig-bear-rabbits are indeed cute, just as I was suspecting! 14/10 would snorgle again!
posted by supermedusa at 12:29 PM on June 2, 2022
posted by supermedusa at 12:29 PM on June 2, 2022
I did a capybara encounter in Austin and while I went in with outlandish fantasies of affectionate snuggling that didn't come true, it was still such a great experience. They are the most chill animals I have ever met and I got to feed them lettuce for half an hour and I loved every minute of it.
posted by Neely O'Hara at 1:22 PM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Neely O'Hara at 1:22 PM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
The great illustrator and author Bill Peet did a children's book about a capybara, which I had as a child. Very cute book. Peet was my all time favorite artist until I was around 10 years old. Then I swung around to the great Erol Otus for his fine work in Dungeons & Dragons books.
Every time I see or hear the word capybara, I think of that book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/355592.Capyboppy
EDIT: And I just learned that this book is a tragedy of sorts. Now I'm kinda bummed out. Great illustrations from said book here:
https://capybaraworld.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/capyboppy-by-bill-peet-how-many-people-who-say-they-love-this-book-have-actually-read-it-カピバラ「capyboppy」の物語/
posted by SoberHighland at 5:08 PM on June 2, 2022
Every time I see or hear the word capybara, I think of that book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/355592.Capyboppy
EDIT: And I just learned that this book is a tragedy of sorts. Now I'm kinda bummed out. Great illustrations from said book here:
https://capybaraworld.wordpress.com/2014/07/24/capyboppy-by-bill-peet-how-many-people-who-say-they-love-this-book-have-actually-read-it-カピバラ「capyboppy」の物語/
posted by SoberHighland at 5:08 PM on June 2, 2022
I'd love to have one as a pet, and I'm not sure they'd be difficult beyond finding a good vet.
Capybaras are a very socialable animal, so they're happiest in groups, not all alone. And they need a big pool to swim in. So, unfortunately, maybe not the best pets, unless you have the resources to keep a group of them.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:20 PM on June 2, 2022
Capybaras are a very socialable animal, so they're happiest in groups, not all alone. And they need a big pool to swim in. So, unfortunately, maybe not the best pets, unless you have the resources to keep a group of them.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:20 PM on June 2, 2022
One of my favorite capybara spots is an animal park called Nasu Animal Kingdom, where they keep a herd with a few dozen members. One of the attractions of the park was that you could bathe with capybaras in the hot springs, although I'm not sure if that's allowed at the moment. (There are clear plexiglas dividers so the capybaras share the same water but they can't crawl into your lap.)
There's a big sign in the main capybara zone with photos of all the capybaras showing their names, and I asked one of the zookeepers if they could tell them all apart (the answer was yes!). Besides bathing with them you can also feed them and pet them (the capybaras that is, not the zookeepers). The young ones have softer fur, but they get quite bristly as they get older.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:22 PM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
There's a big sign in the main capybara zone with photos of all the capybaras showing their names, and I asked one of the zookeepers if they could tell them all apart (the answer was yes!). Besides bathing with them you can also feed them and pet them (the capybaras that is, not the zookeepers). The young ones have softer fur, but they get quite bristly as they get older.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:22 PM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Wishing to put my interest in capybaras (and the hundreds of capybara photos I've taken) to practical use, I developed an AI-driven visual-recognition model for capybaras, and built a mobile app so it could be used in the field. So, next time you're at the petting zoo and you're not sure if you're looking at a baby capybara or a large agouti, you can use the Capybara Detector [self-link].
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:33 PM on June 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:33 PM on June 2, 2022 [3 favorites]
Katsuhito Watanabe (instagram) is my favorite capybara photographer, and he also maintains a Capybara Navigator resource on his website (in Japanese) listing all the places in Japan where you can find capybaras.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:45 PM on June 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:45 PM on June 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
The young ones have softer fur, but they get quite bristly as they get older.
True of both capybaras and zoo keepers!
posted by Zumbador at 8:45 PM on June 2, 2022
True of both capybaras and zoo keepers!
posted by Zumbador at 8:45 PM on June 2, 2022
I had a dream a few years ago that a large family of capybaras was living in my backyard. I’m still mad that it wasn’t true.
posted by centrifugal at 9:46 PM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by centrifugal at 9:46 PM on June 2, 2022 [4 favorites]
#neverforget
As God is my witness, I thought capybaras never ran.
posted by rhizome at 11:21 PM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
As God is my witness, I thought capybaras never ran.
posted by rhizome at 11:21 PM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
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Those beautiful eyes.
Those little hand-feet!
They're like fae creatures.
posted by Zumbador at 9:31 AM on June 2, 2022 [1 favorite]