Newborn Capybaras Become Instant Stars at Japan’s Izu Animal Kingdom; Shizuoka Pref. Zoo Also Recently Welcomed Baby Meerkat

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:07 JST, September 11, 2024

Two baby capybaras born at Izu Animal Kingdom, a zoo in Higashi Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, are gaining popularity with visitors for their cute appearance.

The new stars were born to mother Koshian and father Zunda　on Sept. 3. They are 20 centimeters long and weigh about two kilograms. Their sex is still unknown. Izu Animal Kingdom has a tradition of naming its capybaras after Japanese sweets, and the zookeepers plan to give the babies their names soon.

A baby meerkat was also born on Aug. 29. One 22-year-old female zookeeper said, “Please be sure to come and see how small and cute the babies are.”