Longleat is celebrating a landmark moment after welcoming its first-ever capybara pups, with the pair arriving just in time for Capybara Appreciation Day.
The two youngsters were born to parents Bart and Mildred, who live alongside the Brazilian tapirs and maned wolves in the African Village area of the Drive-Through Safari.
It marks the first successful capybara birth in the Wiltshire estate’s history.
Alexa Maultby, a hoofstock keeper at Longleat, said the arrival had come sooner than expected after Mildred joined the collection less than a year ago.
“With Mildred having only arrived at the park last July, it is a fantastic achievement to have already welcomed two pups.
“Mum and the pups are doing well, and are currently in a purpose-built nursery area, complete with private pool. Capybara pups are born precocial, meaning they are born with fur, open eyes and are able to move and swim within a few hours.”
Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, have a gestation period of between 120 and 150 days, with Mildred giving birth after 149 days.
The pups weighed around one kilogramme each at birth and are expected to remain with their mother for several months, feeding on milk for around 16 weeks while gradually beginning to graze on grass from about a week old.
When fully grown, capybaras can weigh between 35 and 66 kilogrammes.
As a semi-aquatic species, the youngsters are already being introduced to the water under their mother’s watchful eye.
Ms Maultby said: “As capybaras are a semi-aquatic species, we’re expecting mum and the pups to spend quite a bit of time in their private pool.
“While the pups won’t be the best swimmers to begin with, they will learn quickly and may even ride around on mum’s back while in the water initially.”
In the wild, capybaras rely on water to escape predators. They have partially webbed feet for swimming, fast-drying coarse hair and eyes, ears and nostrils positioned high on their heads, allowing them to remain almost completely submerged while keeping watch for danger.
Keepers have not yet determined whether the new arrivals are male or female, with that expected to be confirmed during forthcoming health checks.
Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the growing family can currently spot them in their nursery enclosure beside the giraffe house, next to the African Village car park, where the youngsters are settling into life under the careful supervision of their mother.
