Happy capy news from Edinburgh Zoo as first capybara pup born in Scotland for 18 years
New arrival at the city’s zoo
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed the birth of a lovable capybara, the first to be born in Scotland in 18 years.
Keepers at the wildlife conservation charity are keeping a close eye on the babybara as they are still quite vulnerable at this crucial point in their development.
Capybara babies, known as pups, weigh around 1.5 to 2.5kg when born, similar to the weight of a six-pack of Irn-Bru. The zoo cares for four capybaras – Luna (one), Rodney (two), Cali (one) and the new baby.
In the coming weeks the pup will become more independent and spend time grazing. They will learn social behaviours from the herd, including communication sounds such as barks and chirps, and group hierarchy.
Speaking about the new arrival, Edinburgh Zoo animal keeper Jonny Appleyard said: “We are so proud of Luna and Rodney, they’re already doing an incredible job of looking after their new baby. They are such a beautiful species and the babies are especially adorable!
“The baby is slowly starting to get braver and explore so you may well catch a glimpse of them, closely followed by mum. Capybara pups grow up quickly so we recommend visiting the zoo soon if you want to see the new arrival at their cutest stage.”
The youngster will have their first health check in the coming weeks at which point keepers will find out the gender and choose their name. Visitors can book zoo tickets online in advance and save at edinburghzoo.org.uk/tickets.