The Charismatic Capybara

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Speaker 1: Hi, I'm Rich Swartz.

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Speaker 2: When is the world? I'm Marco Wentz.

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Speaker 3: Welcome to Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from around the world and uncover fascinating animal facts. This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization which oversees of San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: All Right, an Eagle.

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Speaker 4: In our last episode about the milky storks, you wrapped up the episode teasing us about this episode being about some kind of water.

00:00:34
Speaker 2: Love and animal at the zoo.

00:00:36
Speaker 1: Yes, that's true, Marco.

00:00:37
Speaker 4: So I started looking into it, and I figured it's probably not going to be a bird species like flamingos or penguins.

00:00:43
Speaker 2: Probably not, you.

00:00:45
Speaker 4: Know, I was thinking you might go that way, But no, no, that's not it. Because we just talked about the storks. So I then look at the palmer bears, because you know, they spend a lot of time in the ocean and they are in fact considered marine mammal. True.

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Speaker 2: Right, However, I know.

00:00:59
Speaker 4: You well and to know that you're probably going to do something people may not expect, right, And like I don't know, like a fishing cat, right, a cat that doesn't mind being in the water.

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Speaker 3: Oh you know me well, Marco, you know me very well and as good as an episode about fishing cats would be.

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Speaker 1: Which now I'm thinking maybe we should have that. I went a different route.

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Speaker 3: I want you to think more herbivore and less carnivore.

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Speaker 2: Who okay, okay, hmmm water love an herbivore? Oh, I know, I know, okay.

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Speaker 4: Hippo right, the word hippopotamus pretty much translates to water horse or are we headed to the hippos?

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Speaker 5: Oh?

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Speaker 1: So close, Marcos, so close.

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Speaker 3: In fact, the animal that we are going to be talking about today is sometimes lovingly called the water pig, not the water horse, but it's not related to pigs at all. We're headed to the zoo to find out more about the semi aquatic copy bras.

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Speaker 2: Yes, capybaras.

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Speaker 4: How could I forget about those adorable oversized rodents.

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Speaker 3: Not to worry, Marco, I have been able to connect with one of our wildlife care specialists and she is getting us behind the scenes to learn more about the original road of unusual size.

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Speaker 2: This is going to be great, all right, Let's go.

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Speaker 5: I am Kimberly Hide. I am senior wildlife care specialist.

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Speaker 3: And where we are right now Kimberly is the bedroom area, for lack of a better term, in Elephant Odyssey, where the copy Bora and the bird's taper reside.

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Speaker 1: Is that correct?

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Speaker 2: That is?

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Speaker 3: And then with that too, we're also this betrom areas right next to one of the public paths, so our audiences, you're listening, and now you might hear a bus tour go by. You might hear some of the crowd noises going by, because everyone's here enjoying the zoo today.

00:02:38
Speaker 1: But we're here to talk about the copy Bura.

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Speaker 4: We're super excited, by the way. Thank you for spending the time and for our listeners too. When I walked in here, you guys, I'm smiling like some Hey, a lot of herbivor smells a lot of fun herbivor smells. And I guess over here a little tapey or snap poking out saying hi to So this is a really unique area too, right, And I have to say, like, when I think about wildlife, you know a lot of people go to Africa in Asia, which is amazing, but honestly, My go to is the kid has always been Central South America. So I'm super stoked to talk about this very unique, very large rodent. Right, can you describe this animal for us?

00:03:10
Speaker 5: Yeah, Kappa bars are actually the world's largest rodent. They can range anywhere from about one hundred and ten about one hundred and seventy pounds on average, so very large rodent. People describe them a lot of times as like a giant guinea pig. They look to be like a size of a large dog. They have really coarse brown hair, can range from tan to like really dark brown hair. And they have short little ears that they wiggle very much like hippos. One of the cutest things. I love watching that. And then yeah, the little short snowl little webbed feet, So they're one of the I think, one of the most adorable animals.

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Speaker 4: Of course, I mean I agree, right, when we think about rodents, right, it's worth mentioning for a listeners because I'm sure they're thinking about it right now. All the nuances of rodents on planet Earth, right, and the standard kind of rodent we're all familiar with the house the rat. We have Namibian pouch rats here as ambassadors are a really unique species. But now I'm thinking about like the porcupine as an example, Right, isn't that the largest in North America? Because I want to stargest in North America is the beaver?

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Speaker 2: Oh right? Beever I forgot about the beaver.

00:04:13
Speaker 1: I forget about the beaver.

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Speaker 2: Right, that's what we're saying, right, So really unique, but this one because it's aquatic too. The area.

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Speaker 4: Can you, for a listeners talk about that environment that these animals are in, right, kind of different than our beaver, right or porcupine?

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean in South America, they're going to find more like swampy grasslandy areas. Sometimes it's savannah like, but it always has to be near a body of water of some right, because the body of water is going to be very much part of their whole life. They will swim in it to cool down, to find food, a lot of grasses and aquatic plants as part of their normal diet. They will also use it to as basically a defense mechanism. That's the easiest way to get away from predators, just to swim away. And so water plays a really big role. So they want to find a place that has a large enough body of water to submerge and to get away, and to also just live and eat and thrive in.

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Speaker 3: It's a great environment. But I also love that you mentioned it is an opportunity for them to escape from predation. Being the largest road and on the planet. What usually predates these.

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Speaker 5: Animals, you know, as an adult, A lot of the larger carnivores in the area, so puma's jaguar, sometimes anaconda depending on how large the anaconda is will definitely prey upon them, and actually humans as well. But for like the small babies, any small predator a slats even heard sometimes all possums, so we'll go after baby capavirus.

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Speaker 2: I know that lot.

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Speaker 4: So there's a lot in that jungle they have to kind of contend with, you know. But it's probably worth noting why they're so social as well. That probably helps them out right looking out all those corners in the jungle right very much.

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Speaker 5: So, Yeah, social groups are very important. During let's say the dry season around the water hole, they'll find sometimes up to one hundred individuals in a group that are sort of just milling about and interacting and socializing. During the wetter season, maybe forty still a large group. But yeah, definitely, social is a very big part of how they survive as a group because we have usually males, dominant males, subordinate males, and then a lot of females and a lot of pups as well.

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Speaker 3: So with mentioning dominant male is subordinate, et cetera, is there a true social structure within these large groups or is it more of a loose sort of family groups that.

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Speaker 1: Have come together.

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Speaker 5: In the larger groups, it's sort of loose, but when you get into an actual breeding group, you do usually have a dominant male, one dominant male to a group of the say four to fourteen females. Oh co. And then sometimes there are subordinate males that're sort of on the outlying of that breeding main breeding group. But yeah, there is very strong dominant males that really defend that space in those females and actually hold on to that status. Is the dominant male for years and years and a lot of times they're very rare for subordinate male to challenge.

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Speaker 4: Really, woh, that's interesting. I'm really curious, and I know we're here at Eliphant Odyssey. Can you talk a little bit about the coffy boras of guests can encounter here of course.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, So we have a group of eight kapy baras currently here in Alpha Dnssee, we have an adult male and female. Bowie is the male and Rosalina is the female. And then we have their pups. So they had a little of pops born in July of last year. They're about ten months old. We still have one female and one male from that group. And then we have a new group of pups that was just born in April. We have three in that group right now and they're all females.

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Speaker 2: That's exciting really, all right, everyone loves a coffee bar.

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Speaker 4: I mean before the interview the other day, I was scrolling on my TikTok and you know, if it's not a kitten, it's a coffee bar and something super cute. There's something about them, the little faces, you know, it's such a stoic face. One morning, I remember seeing an adult half in out of the water and little bubbles coming up behind him. I'm not saying what is happening, but he had the most stoic face, right. But it's that cuteness, right, But that's what I love about some of these animals. I know there's something about a copy brol just makes a kid smile I think at an adult right.

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Speaker 5: Oh, yeah, every day I come to work, I have a smile on my face every time I get to see them. They're different, they're doing something interesting and fun and either they're swimming or they're interacting with each other socializing. They're socializing with the tapers. I mean, every day is so just great to be here, you know, I love it.

00:08:27
Speaker 1: That's awesome.

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Speaker 3: Well, going back to a little bit of what Marco is saying and the bubbles coming up. Yes, there are a lot of sounds.

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Speaker 1: And noises and vocalizations that they do make.

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Speaker 3: From what I understand, can you explain and share some of those with us. You don't have to imitate them if you but if you want.

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Speaker 1: To go right ahead and try.

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Speaker 3: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: So, vocalization is a really strong way to communicate with each other. So they have anywhere from like these high pitched squeals and sweaks to sometimes really like guttural groans and a growl sound, and so they all mean different things. A lot of times when you hear like sort of a chittering squeal, that's more of like sort of content sound. Sometimes appeasement and then when you get to like a bark or the growl, that's when you get into aggression or sometimes even frightened sounds. You'll have a really loud, sharp bark when they get startled or something frightens them.

00:09:21
Speaker 2: I didn't realize they're as vocal.

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Speaker 3: I have worked a lot in my past with porcupines, and I know there's a lot of different things they'll do with their teeth as well to communicate.

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Speaker 1: Do copies do that also?

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Speaker 3: For sure?

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Speaker 5: The chitter, the chattering, and so they basically clack their teeth together. That's really aggressive. So like when they are maybe quarreling with another copy bar or sometimes their taper, they will clack their teeth together and that's really like warning, do not try to approach me or come at because I will use these teeth basically, And like.

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Speaker 1: Other rodents, they have the ever growing incisors.

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Speaker 3: Do you find as a WILDLFE care specialist, you're replacing things that they're chewing up and.

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Speaker 5: Chewing through or Yeah, so we always have to provide something for them to chew on. So a lot of times we want them to chew on the correct things, so not try to like destroy some of the things we have on habitat that they shouldn't chew on. So we do provide them with thick logs or big branches for them to chew on, kind of keep those teeth worn down, because yeah, they do not have that. Then the teeth can get overgrown and then it basically doesn't allow them to eat and chew their food properly, and so then you fall into issues with that, and so you want to give them something to chew on that's appropriate for them to keep their teeth worn make sense.

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Speaker 2: Totally, such a unique adaptations they have.

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Speaker 4: But I'm curious, like, because you are the specialist, my friends, So if you have like a bunch of kids in front of your right now, what's your one like the coolest copy borrow fact that you can think of, maybe something that maybe people don't really know about these unique little rodents.

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Speaker 2: That's a good big road, big I know what I said, like big roads.

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Speaker 5: Let's see one of well, one of my favorite. I don't know how well or unknown, but I do love the fact that they can actually fully submerge and stay underwater for five minutes.

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Speaker 2: Oh wow, five minutes, oh wow wow? And they're moving about are they grazing in the water too, you think.

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Speaker 5: Sometimes yeah, sometimes the low aquatic plants underwater, they will go and dive for and actually graze upon them. But it's also another way that if let's say they're being chased by a predator, they jump in that water, submerge, they can just swim for that five minutes and just get away.

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Speaker 2: There you go. Wow, I love it.

00:11:29
Speaker 4: I've also seen them as sort of these like unofficial purchase for the local birds in the area as well of a really unique animal. And great reminded to you again of the diversity of rodents out there, right, I guess said, don't get all squirmy on us when we're talking about with the rodent family, because there's so many unique species out.

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Speaker 2: There, like the copy bar and the porcupine of course.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so thank you.

00:11:46
Speaker 2: This is really really cool.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, and one thing I want to point you know, you're mentioning some of these cool adaptations, you know, being able to graze over the plant material. You live in these large groups near the water, and they're hunted by other animals. And that does bring me to the fact that we just recently talked about some other species that are danger We've talked a lot on this podcast about conservation efforts and the work being done in collaboration. But the coppy bear is not in danger. The copy bear does not have a big program in place to save them because they're doing okay.

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Speaker 1: But I want to point out.

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Speaker 3: To our audience that this is a great example though, of the species that the more we get to understand them and know them, the less chance we will have to create some sort of conservation program. And they are so important for a healthy ecosystem, which is also another topic we cover quite a bit in this podcast, but the importance of overall healthy ecosystem. So they're keeping the plants at the proper length if you will, or growth patterns, they're feeding other animals. They're also then fertilizing with their droppings as they go throughout their environment, and obviously in the wild too, the chewing behavior that we have here in the zoo, they do that in the wild, so they're helping to maintain plants at certain.

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Speaker 1: Levels with the chewing that they do as well. So it's kind of cool to think about.

00:12:54
Speaker 3: Although we're not leaning heavy into the conservation side, it's also a really good reminder of how important every species is to their environment.

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Speaker 4: One hundred percent, right, even like elef and Odyssey is such a unique area or highlighting species that were here how many many moons ago in the past. But for me, honestly, what I like about this particular area it shows different species that thrive in these unique jungle environments in South America. People I'm probably thinking right now at jaguar, maybe a harbeat eagle.

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Speaker 2: You mentioned the anaconda as well.

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Speaker 4: It's a wicked right, but people forget all the other nuances like the tape heer as well, Like these are really large herbivores that are found in these vibrant, rich jungles in South America.

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Speaker 2: So you work at a pretty unique spot, my friend, So I agree.

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Speaker 5: I love it.

00:13:33
Speaker 3: M hmm. Well, on the heels of what Marco just said too, I want to ask because we have listeners of all ages, and a lot of our listeners are wild left care specialists, you know, in the making their dreaming.

00:13:42
Speaker 1: They want what we do, So tell us a little bit.

00:13:45
Speaker 3: What is it like to be able to come in every day and take care of these really cool rodents.

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Speaker 5: I mean, I find it a joy every day. I'm excited because these guys are one of the few animals that we can actually interact with and sort of build a good relationship with. They're super smart animals, being rodents, they have a really good way of problem solving, and we can use training a lot of times to sort of stimulate that mental need of theirs to work through problems. And so I get to actually interact with them by changing them different behaviors, to show different parts of their body to go into a crate if they need to transport somewhere, or basically make their lives in my life a little bit easier to care for. So I really enjoy just going out on habitat and hand feeding them or just sometimes conversing with them. Honestly, like I say, they vocalize to us, especially the pups that were born here. They know us wildlife care specialists really well, and we can sort of vocalize back in our own way, and we sort of have that nice bond with them.

00:14:57
Speaker 3: That's really special. And that's one thing I've often said that's you know, the wildlife we care for ends up being extended family percent. We are with them so often, we care for them so much. It's not like having a dog or cat at home. It's very different than that, but there's still a connection there, and I really appreciate you sharing that with us and with our audience. Yeah, of course, Well, I really appreciate you sharing what it means to you and the connection we all have with the wildlife we care for.

00:15:20
Speaker 1: And also thank you so.

00:15:21
Speaker 3: Much for taking the time to talk with us in our audience about copy bras today.

00:15:25
Speaker 5: Of course, anytime. I will talk about them forever if you let me.

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Speaker 4: All right, maybe there's a take two or episode to you somewhere in the future, right, Thanks again, I really appreciate it, of course. Oh Rick, thank you for getting us behind the scenes there with Kimberly. I love being back there with.

00:15:41
Speaker 2: The kapy barras and tape you're hanging out and eating.

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Speaker 4: It was wicked, oh and Kimberly with all the capy bar knowledge, I mean respect right.

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Speaker 3: Right exactly, and I'm so glad it worked out spending time with Kimberly and man, yes, so much information about capy bras. I think though, I was most impressed with their size. I mean, sure, they look like they might be the size of like a big dog when you look at them from a distance. When you're walking through the zoo. But up to one hundred and seventy pounds, that's a lot of rodent.

00:16:08
Speaker 2: Man, one hundred percent, a whole lot of rodent. And you know, I gotta admit I was very.

00:16:14
Speaker 4: Impressed alone that they can hold their breath up to five minutes. Oh and kids, please remember the average human can usually hold their breath for only about one to two minutes unless they've done some special training, right, friend, right, So please please don't try to be like a copy barra when it comes to holding your breaths.

00:16:32
Speaker 3: All the advice man, very good advice gaby Buras have all kinds of cool adaptations from those parsley webed feet to countless vocalizations for communicating and speaking of copyre communications that reminds me. Coming up in July tenth is copy bur Appreciation Day. You can keep an eye out for the San Diego zoos social media for fun facts and great photos of copy burs. And of course, because it's copybar Appreciation Day, you have to share with everybody you know all the great things you've learned about copy.

00:16:59
Speaker 4: Bur one hundred percent, and I mean the cuteness, I mean, forget about it.

00:17:04
Speaker 2: All right, they are adorable.

00:17:06
Speaker 4: You cannot scroll through copy Bar Appreciation Day and not fall in love with those adorable faces.

00:17:12
Speaker 2: I know, I know, I know.

00:17:14
Speaker 3: We try to make sure people always have an appreciation and respect for all wildlife, which you can't deny the cuteness factor when it comes to copy of era.

00:17:22
Speaker 1: Seriously, it's almost too much, right, it really isn't that?

00:17:24
Speaker 5: You know what?

00:17:24
Speaker 3: That actually kind of reminds me of another well known bear that people can't help but fall in love with their cuteness.

00:17:30
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, sir, I wonder what kind of bear you're thinking about.

00:17:33
Speaker 3: Well, we do have giant pandas coming back to the San Diego Zoo.

00:17:37
Speaker 2: Oh my guess is it really time? I mean, are we finally going to do this thing?

00:17:42
Speaker 5: Yeah?

00:17:43
Speaker 1: I think Are you ready for this? I think it's time?

00:17:44
Speaker 2: All right?

00:17:45
Speaker 3: Be sure to subscribe and tune into our next episode, in which we learn more about the giant pandas that are coming to the San Diego Zoo and the continuation of our giant panda conservation research.

00:17:59
Speaker 1: Marco Went and I'm Rick Schwartz. Thanks for listening.

00:18:06
Speaker 3: For more information about the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Go to SDZWA dot org. Amazing Wildlife is a production of iHeartRadio. Our supervising producers are Nikkia Swinton and Dylan Fagan, and our sound designers are Sierra Spreen and Matt Russell. For more shows from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.