A female capybara has arrived at a Florida zoo as part of a breeding program to bolster the population of the large South American rodents.
Iyari, a 10-month-old capybara, came to the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society in May from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
She’s currently staying in a mixed-species habitat with a couple of Baird’s tapirs, which live in similar habitats in South America, while zoo workers slowly introduce her to the park’s 2-year-old male capybara, Zeus.
Capybara gestation is about five months with an average litter of four.
Palm Beach Zoo officials aren’t sure when to expect baby capybaras.
They say it will all depend on how long it takes Iyari and Zeus to get to know each other.
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