Cape May Zoo Welcomes New Baby Capybaras

The Cape May County Park and Zoo has announced the birth of two healthy baby capybaras. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, zoo officials announced that Buttercup had delivered the pups on Sunday, Oct. 26. Buttercup was due to deliver in late October or November, zoo officials said in an earlier social media announcement.

Another female capybara, Marigold, is pregnant and due in “the coming weeks,” the zoo said. Both Marigold and Buttercup share the same father, a male capybara named Goomba, who is known as the zoo's “resident bachelor,” according to NJ Advance Media.

“Buttercup and the pups will be able to be seen periodically from the bridge at the capybara habitat, but will be off habitat often to give them some respite from crowds and weather,” the zoo said.

In addition to Goomba, Buttercup, Marigold, and Budette (Buttercup's mother), the zoo also cares for Capychino, a neutered male from one of Budette's previous litters, according to PhillyVoice.

Capybaras, native to South America, are semi-aquatic mammals known for their adorable appearance, which makes the new arrivals a favorite among visitors and social media users. They typically have litters of four to five babies after a gestation period of approximately five months.

The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums oversees the zoo's capybara breeding program. This program aims to breed responsibly to create a genetically diverse, demographically stable population, according to NJ Advance Media.