East Sussex zookeepers ‘over the moon’ as zoo welcomes capybara triplets

Zookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets.
By Sam Pole
Published 25th Oct 2023, 11:50 GMT
Updated 25th Oct 2023, 11:51 GMT
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Parents Augustus and Clementine welcomed their first baby Satsuma at Drusillas Zoo Park, near Alfriston, last year, so zookeepers could not believe their luck when Clementine became pregnant once again.

When Satsuma was born in June 2022, he was the first capybara to be born at the zoo for eleven years.

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On September 28, he became a big brother his mum gave birth to triplets.

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Zookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: DrusillasZookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: Drusillas
Zookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: Drusillas

She had been waiting ten years for the right mate until she met Augustus in 2021.

Since they were born at the end of September, the three loveable new additions are being beautifully cared for by their doting Mum and Dad. Visitors can spot them frolicking with big brother Satsuma, bouncing around their enclosure, and munching on their favourite snacks: chicory, sweet potato, and cucumber.

Head Keeper, Gemma Romanis, said: “We are over the moon to welcome three new capybara babies. We were all so excited when Satsuma was born last year and it’s amazing that now he’s been joined by not one, but three siblings.

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It’s been a long journey to get to this point because Clementine really struggled to find a mate she connected with. She’s very affectionate and loving with us, but in contrast, had been very dismissive towards other capybaras we’ve tried to introduce over the years.

Zookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: DrusillasZookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: Drusillas
Zookeepers at Drusillas in East Sussex are ‘over the moon’ after the zoo welcomed the addition of capybara triplets. Picture: Drusillas

We saw a glimmer of hope in her behaviour towards Augustus and did everything we could to encourage it. In a lovely turn of events, she fell pregnant last year and gave birth to Satsuma, and now the family has grown even more.”

Visitors who want to get even closer to the furry rodents can get nose-to-nose with them by booking a close encounter experience.

With the new arrivals, Drusillas Park now has six capybaras and is asking the public to help decide the name of the three new pups – two girls and one boy.

If you can make them citrus-themed like Mum Clementine and big brother, Satsuma, even better

To help choose a name, head to Drusillas Park's social media pages @drusillaspark to make a suggestion.