Shepreth Wildlife Park has announced the birth of four baby capybaras – bringing the Park’s flourishing capybara family to a total of ten.
In the quiet of the night on 15 October, experienced mum Pepita gave birth to four healthy-looking baby capybaras, much to the delight of the animal care team.
While capybaras can give birth to larger litters, Shepreth’s capybara mums have typically welcomed just one or two youngsters at a time, making Pepita’s quadruplets an especially exciting arrival. With a gestation period of around four and a half months, and the potential for two litters a year, the Park’s capybara family is booming.
Help name the new arrivals!
The team at Shepreth Wildlife Park have a tasty tradition when it comes to naming capybaras: all the youngsters are named after foods inspired by Latin America! The family already includes Pipoca and Roseta (names inspired by popcorn), along with Queso (cheese), Tostada (toast) and Burrito.
The keepers will soon establish the gender of the pups, microchip them and choose their names – and they’re inviting the public to get involved!
Have a delicious idea for a capybara name? Simply send Shepreth Wildlife Park a direct message on Instagram with your suggestion. There’s just one rule: it must fit the Latin American food theme.
Spooktacular half term events at Shepreth Wildlife Park
Pepita’s new pups have arrived just in time for Shepreth Wildlife Park’s special half-term and halloween events.
- Creatures of the Night – Park in the Dark Tours (26-30th Oct 5pm–6pm): Join a guided adventure around the Park, hunting for clues to solve a mysterious puzzle. Book online for this spooky experience.
- Pumpkin carving (26th-31st Oct): Get creative with some Halloween masterpieces.
- Magical entertainment (26-31st Oct 12.30pm): Enjoy tricks and surprises from a magician.
- Face painting (29th-30th Oct): Transform into your favourite spooky character.
- Halloween fancy dress: The zookeepers love seeing visitors in their Halloween outfits, so don’t forget to dress up!
If you visit in the lead-up to Halloween, you might also notice the capybaras are getting into the spooky spirit too: usually happiest munching on their favourite bamboo leaves, the capybara family are enjoying a seasonal change to their treats, with pumpkins on the menu as part of their daily enrichment.
And the capybaras aren’t the only exciting animals waiting to be discovered this half term. Visitors can also explore some fascinating new residents in the Park’s Hidden Treasures collection, including a bird-eating spider, a hognose snake and giant hooded katydids.
Find out more at sheprethwildlifepark.co.uk
Images: Sandra Ortuno / Shepreth Wildlife Park