Audubon Zoo Welcomes Five Baby Capybara

Audubon Zoo’s capybara family just got bigger! Five new capybara pups were born January 8, 2026 and are keeping mom “Turkey” and dad “Sequoia” busy. They are currently behind-the-scenes due to their small size, but siblings Charlotte, Tiana, and Louis are interested in them and frequently visit for playtime. 

Capybara give birth after about 100 days of gestation. The pups could walk right after they were born so they immediately began exploring their world. They nurse from mom but are starting to nibble grass and other foods.  

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents and are native to South America. They love to swim, but the pups have to get much bigger before they can swim with their parents and siblings in the large lagoon in Jaguar Jungle River’s Edge. For now, they are living and playing in the capybara yard and barn that are mostly behind the scenes. Guests who ride the Audubon Zoo train may be able to catch a glimpse of these pups in their yard as the train follows a path that goes right by it.

Determining the sex of capybara pups is often difficult when they are young, so they will have to wait a while longer to be named.  Each has been given a dab of animal safe paint so their keepers can tell them apart.