Capybara pups at Manx zoo draw record crowds

Curraghs Wildlife Park has experienced its busiest October weekend ever after the birth of eight capybara pups, which staff say have "delighted" people and boosted conservation funding.

The pups were born to two females within days of each other, on 26 September and 1 October.

Their arrival has sparked huge public interest, with the park's manager Kathleen Graham saying the reaction to this "overload of cuteness" had been extraordinary.

"The car park was full, it was like a bank holiday. Everybody coming to see the capybara babies," she said.

The arrival marks a milestone for the park, which last welcomed a single capybara pup four years ago.

Graham said the scale of this year's births has been "a super overload of cuteness really."

The animals, native to South America, are the world's largest rodent, and thrive in wet marshland environments.

Graham said the pups' appearance on social media immediately drew far more attention than expected, and the surge translated directly into visitor numbers

"They have been delighting people. Even grown men were like cooing," she laughed.

Although capybaras are not endangered, Graham said they play a vital role in helping visitors understand threatened wetland habitats

The park is part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria's Eaza Wetlands for Life campaign and sits on a Ramsar‑designated wetland.

Graham said the pups helped highlight how wetlands supported both wildlife and people.

"We rely on wetlands to soak up excess rainwater. And they're management systems, really. So they need looking after and protecting," she said.

The pups' popularity also directly supported conservation work, she explained, as each visitor contributed £1 to the park's conservation fund unless they opted out.

"Although themselves [capybaras] may not be endangered, they've actually created a lot of extra money this weekend for the conservation fund and spread a lot of joy and oohs and aahs," she said.

The fund supports projects locally with Manx Wildlife Trust and internationally, including work in the Pantanal, where wild capybaras live.

She said the pups arrival had lifted spirits at a time when many people were seeking moments of joy.

"I think when there's so many just awful things that happen in the world, sometimes these little things just give us a bit of light relief, don't they?," she added.

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