Capybaras return to the Dallas Zoo

DALLAS - The Dallas Zoo is celebrating the addition of three new capybaras.

Dallas Zoo welcomes 3 capybaras

What's new:

Velero, Atziri and Piquiri recently arrived from the San Diego Zoo.

The zoo said Velero is a year and a half old. He’s a social butterfly who loves snacks and splashing in water.

Atziri and Piquiri are 10-month-old sisters who look nearly identical. But they reportedly have very different personalities.

Piquiri is shy but clever, while Atziri is bold and always ready for action, the zoo said.

Atziri has a shaved patch on her right shoulder and Piquiri has a shaved patch on her left shoulder, so zoo staff can tell them apart.

The trio is already on display in Fred and Tullah’s former habitat at ZooNorth.

Fred the Capybara dies in 2022

The backstory:

The Dallas Zoo has been without a resident capybara since the death of Fred in 2022.

The zoo said Fred was nearly 9 years old when he passed away from health issues related to his advanced age. Capybaras have an average lifespan of about seven years.

Fred’s roomie, Tullah the 14-year-old giant anteater, also passed away this past November.

The two species are both native to the forests of South America and reportedly became fast friends after they were paired in their ZooNorth habitat in 2019.

Capybara Facts

• Capybaras are considered the world’s largest rodents.
• They are native to the forests of South America.
• They are cousins of the guinea pigs, rock cavies, chinchillas, and nutria rats.
• While they live for about four years in the wild, they can live twice as long in captivity.
• They’ve become widely popular on social media in recent due to TikTok videos and memes highlighting their docile or relaxed nature.