Four-Month-Old Capybara Siblings Arrive at San Francisco Zoo

Two young capybara siblings were recently brought to the San Francisco Zoo from Sacramento, where they’ve been adjusting to their new habitat, marking the first time the popular rodents have been at the zoo in nearly a decade.

The two capybaras are settling into their new home at Puente al Sur, a mixed-species habitat with an outdoor pond that the female made a beeline for as soon as she was released into the enclosure, the San Francisco Zoo announced.

The four-month-old siblings, a male and female, are still getting used to their new surroundings, but zoo members can get an exclusive sneak peek this Monday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. The exhibit is tentatively scheduled to open to the public Tuesday, October 13, after the capybaras have had time to acclimate.

The San Francisco Zoo received the pair from the Sacramento Zoo through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Capybara Species Survival Plan, which coordinates placements among participating institutions.

The habitat is also home to a giant anteater, a Baird’s tapir named Pacha, a Southern pudu, and two Western Santa Cruz giant tortoises. Eventually, the zoo plans to introduce the capybaras to Pacha, creating a mixed-species exhibit that visitors can view from an overlooking boardwalk.

Capybaras, native to Central and South America, are the world’s largest rodents. According to the zoo, these semi-aquatic animals typically live in lowland areas near water and are strong swimmers, making the habitat’s pond a natural fit.

The zoo says it’s kept capybaras for more than 30 years, including a herd that once lived near its Nile hippopotamuses. In 1999, the animals moved to Puente al Sur, a habitat designed to showcase wildlife from Mexico through Argentina. The zoo hasn’t housed the popular rodents in nearly a decade, though capybaras’ internet fame has surged since 2020.

ABC 7 reported in 2010 that a pair of female capybaras named Rosemary and Beryl had arrived at the zoo.

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