A family affair
The capybara is a semi-aquatic animals living in south America. It is the largest rodent being 2 feet high at shoulders. They can live in groups of 40 individuals, males and females mixed. Babies will sometime nurse on females other than their own mothers. They are herbivores and will eat anything from aquatic plants to tree barks. Don’t be fooled by their chunky appearance, they can run up to 35km to escape crocodiles and jaguars !
Adaptation is the key
The capybara isn’t considered endangered and the population is stable.
Capybaras have adapted very well to the urbanization of south America living in the different zoos and parks. They reproduce easily in captivity and a invasive population can be seen in Florida. They are still hunted in some places for their meat but in general this isn’t threatening to the survival of the species.
Fun fact : Capybaras are quite popular in japan, the local zoos often showcase them in onsen ( hot springs) which the capybaras seems to love, and so does the tourists.
A pet ?
Some places allow capybaras to be kept as pets. They are high maintenance and require a big enclosure with access to water to swim at all time. They also require to be kept in at least pairs of two. They are shy and might take a while to warm up to their owners. The good side is that they are quite hardy and not prone to get sick and can make lovable companion for years.
Even if the capybara isn’t endangered you can still find more information here:
Factual Animals 