Six adorable adolescent Capybaras are among the many new and engaging animal and marine kingdom members at the recently opened Marine Safari Park at Taman Safari Bali.
Found in the wild in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Northeast Argentina, and Uruguay – Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the world’s largest rodent, closely related in the animal kingdom with guinea pigs, rock cavies, and, more distantly related to agouti, chinchilla, and the nutria.
In nature, Capybaras are semi-aquatic, preferring to live near rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, and swamps in their native South America. Friendly by nature, capybaras will live in groups of 10-20 gregarious individuals who actively seek attention and socialize with humans and other animals.
Capybaras have webbed feet like beavers, enabling them to be strong swimmers. Encased in fatty bodies and with rough, dark reddish-brown fur, these mammals can withstand extreme temperature changes and stay submerged for hours with only their noses cresting above the water’s surface.
Capybaras are vocal animals. They express themselves by purring, barking, cackling, whistling, squealing, whining, grunting, and even teeth-chattering. Not only are there marked harmonic differences among social groups, but each sound a Capybara makes bears a significant meaning. Scientists claim that Capybaras Group Members can sound environmental messages, signal possible threats by predators, and call to isolate and protect the young.
Like other rodents, their front teeth grow as much as several inches each year and must be worn down through active gnawing or, in captivity, by dental grinding.
Playful in the extreme. Capybaras make friends readily with human beings, pets, and many wild animals. Birds, dogs, and cats often perch on a Capybara’s back, enjoying the view or simply hitching a ride across a body of water. Alternatively, Capybaras think little of jumping on the back of a passing crocodile for a free ride across a river, stream, or pond.
The friendly demeanor of the Capybaras is explained by their naturally docile manner and the fact they have few natural enemies in the wild, where they are preyed upon by jaguars, pumas, boa constrictors, crab-eating foxes, large birds of prey, and occasionally crocodiles.
Herbivores that eat vegetation growing near water sources and other aquatic plants, Capybaras share another very unique dietary habit of devouring their own “poop” that provides an essential bacteria needed to digest grass and plant material. These animals also enjoy grains, fruits, reeds, and squashes.
Sadly, the greatest threat to Capybaras is humankind, who kill these friendly beasts for their hides and meat. Also putting pressure on the animals is the depletion of the world’s rainforest through deforestation.
The young group of six Caprybara are now homed at the Marine Safari Park, where there are three males and three females aged between 4 and 5 months. Still relatively young, these Capybaras can grow to a very large 66 kilogram and live in captivity for 8-10 years, twice as long as members of this species in the wild.
The six large Capybaras were sourced from self-sustaining populations across the Taman Safari Indonesia Network. The gestation period of a Capybara is between 130-150 days: litters average four babies, all born on land. Newborns mature quickly and, within one week, can eat grass while suckling from any female in the group until they are weaned at 16 weeks.
Alloparenting, in which babies are reared by Capybaras who are not their birth parents, is not unusual.
Over time, it is expected that the six animals in Bali will promulgate as part of Taman Safari Indonesia’s Sustainability Conservation-based sustainability programs.
The sextet of happy Capybaras at Marine Safari Park in Bali are spoiled by attention from their well-trained and attentive caregivers, who regulate the queues of park visitors keen to pet the cuddly new residents of the park. The animals spend their days frolicking with each other and their happy community of friends: tortoises, ducks, and rabbits.
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