San Francisco Zoo & Gardens has capybaras again. A young male and female sibling pair arrived from the Sacramento Zoo on Thursday, Oct. 8, the zoo announced, making them the first of the giant rodents to live there in close to 10 years.
The two are about 4 months old and still unnamed. Bay City News, citing the zoo, reported they weigh roughly 33 to 44 pounds each, and KRON4 noted that is only around a quarter of what they will weigh as adults.
Where to find them
The pair now live in Puente al Sur, or Bridge to the South, a mixed-species area with four separate sections. Their neighbors include a giant anteater, a Southern pudu, two Western Santa Cruz giant tortoises and a male Baird's tapir named Pacha. Visitors look down on the main yard and its outdoor pond from a boardwalk.
The pond got used right away. According to the zoo, the female headed straight for the water the first time she was let into the exhibit. Curator Quinn Brown said in the zoo's announcement that it was great to watch the siblings explore, swim laps and check out their surroundings.
Over time, keepers plan to introduce the capybaras to Pacha so the two species share the space, which the zoo says will make for a livelier exhibit.
When you can see them
For now, Puente al Sur is closed while the animals settle in privately. The zoo has set Tuesday, Oct. 13, as the tentative first day of public viewing. SFist reported that zoo members get an early look on Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
A long history with the species
The placement came through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Capybara Species Survival Plan, which coordinates where animals go among member zoos, according to SFist. The zoo says it has kept capybaras on and off for more than 30 years, including a herd once housed near its hippos, before the animals moved to Puente al Sur when it opened in 1999.
Capybaras come from Central and South America and are the largest rodents in the world. They are semi-aquatic and strong swimmers, which is why a habitat with a pond suits them. Zoo CEO and executive director Cassandra Costello told KRON4 that the animals are a favorite with staff and visitors of all ages.