A long-awaited addition at the Riga Zoo: a baby capybara has been born. He has already grown stronger and confidently takes his first steps. Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, resembling guinea pigs. Their popularity has sharply increased in recent years following their appearance in the famous animated film "Stream," reports LSM+.
On Friday, the baby capybara reached the eighth day of its life. He is the firstborn in this family of capybaras. He is currently feeling well. But just a few days ago, the keepers were worried about his health: one morning, the baby was found lethargic. It is possible that one of the family members accidentally lay on him.
"Young animals have no experience yet. Therefore, things can go differently. In the morning, the baby was found shivering... Someone may have stepped on him or pressed too hard. There was a big question about how things would go from there. But thanks to the efforts of the keepers and veterinarians, everything is fine," said Maris Lielkalns, a representative of the Riga Zoo.
This is a boy, weighing one and a half kilograms. An adult will weigh about 40 kg. Capybaras are social animals, living in groups where all adults take care of the young.
To help the baby grow stronger, the keepers are supplementing his feeding a little, as there are suspicions that the mother does not have enough milk.
"Over time, only the mother will take care of him. We will not provide additional feeding. They start trying solid food quite quickly, which the adults receive. But the baby will suckle milk for four months," said M. Lielkalns.
Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. The residents of South America call them water pigs, as the animals spend a lot of time in the water. Since the triumph of the animated film "Stream," interest from visitors in these large rodents has noticeably increased. The zoo regularly receives calls asking if they can see the capybaras. But the baby cannot be seen yet.
"It is cold outside, and capybaras are residents of warm countries in Central and South America. Therefore, it has been decided that the baby will not be let outside for now; he will live indoors. The adult animals sometimes go outside in warm weather, but their summer season is already coming to an end," explains Lielkalns.
Visitors will likely be able to see the baby only in the spring.
The last addition to the capybara family at the Riga Zoo was in 2020.
