Link to newsround

EIGHT baby capybaras are an 'overload of cuteness' at Isle of Man zoo

Visitors "oohed and aahed" at the pups, the zoo says

Eight baby capybaras have brought in record crowds, say Curraghs Wildlife Park.

Owners of the Isle of Man zoo said they had their busiest ever October weekend, with visitors desperate to see the pups.

The pups - born to two different mums - arrived just days apart, on 26 September and 1 October.

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

More stories like this

'Overload of cuteness'

A group of brown capybara pups close together eating raw vegetable spread on the green grass.Kathleen Graham

Eight capybaras are the first litter since just one pup at the park four years ago

Kathleen said the arrival of the eight pups has been "a super overload of cuteness really".

Capybaras are originally from South America.

They are also the world's largest rodent, and can grow up to 1.3 metres long.

Squirrels, rats, mice, hamsters and beavers are all types of rodents.

Several little brown capybara pups are sniffing grass with two larger capybaras around them.Curraghs Wildlife Park

The two litters were born within days of each other

Curraghs Wildlife Park is located on a wetland, and capybaras do well in wet, marshy environments.

Kathleen says they help visitors understand the importance of wetlands as homes for animals and plants.

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