Welcome to the world, Tupi, San Antonio Zoo’s precious baby capybara

It’s time for another dose of serotonin courtesy of adorable animals. This week’s precious new friend may look like a copy-paste of his parents, but his vibe is a whole mood we can all appreciate during the holiday season. Let’s give a warm Cuteness HQ welcome to Tupi, the new baby capybara at the San Antonio Zoo.

Tupi was born on December 3, 2024, at the San Antonio Zoo — the first born there since 2000. Before European colonization, the Tupi people were one of Brazil’s largest indigenous populations (also referring to their parent language), making this little critter’s name a lovely homage to one of its native countries. Tupi loves naps, cuddles with capybara mom Luna, and occupying mealtime salad bowls. He’ll spend the next few months close to his parents until weaned; in the wild, he’d leave their group around one year old, but that varies in zoo locales.

Capybaras (the largest rodents in the world) are split into two species based on size: the greater capybara (Hydrochoeris hydrochaeris) and the lesser (Hydrochoeris isthmius). Both live in herds of up to 100 in their native locations: South American savannas and forests around bodies of water. The water locales are essential as they support the capybara’s preferred food source. These herbivores chow down on the grasses and water plants, averaging six to eight pounds per day for adults, according to the San Antonio Zoo. In dry seasons in the wild, they eat reeds, grains, melons, and squashes. Luckily, capybaras are not currently classified as an endangered species, although, like many, their habitats are threatened by deforestation, and they are at risk of illegal poaching.

Baby animals are always adorable, but Tupi’s tiny being takes his species’ classic chill and utterly unbothered expression to a new level. If you’d like to experience Tupi’s miniature sass, he is out and about in the capybara enclosure at the San Antonio Zoo. The zoo regularly shares pictures and video clips of him on its social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. And if you, too, love capybaras, perhaps we can interest you in the newly-released Hidden Capybaras with Orange in the Whimsical Library where you search for capys and their orange prizes in a fantastical library setting.

Now sleep on, sweet capy-baby.