Capybara pup, born at River Wonders, dies at 3 weeks old

A Singapore-born capybara pup has died at about three weeks old, said Mandai Wildlife Reserve in a Mar. 19 update.

The pup, a female, was one of the two capybara babies born at Mandai on Jan. 4.

It passed away on Jan. 27.

The other pup, a male, remains healthy and weighs around 4.4kg, a spokesperson from Mandai said in response to Mothership's queries.

"The male pup is feeding well, active, and staying close to mum as it grows stronger each day."

Both pups and their mother, Luna, were part of the Amazon River Quest exhibit at River Wonders.

A vulnerable period

Azmi Amzah, curator of animal care at River Wonders, said that neonatal care for capybaras can be complex.

"Sadly, [the pup] did not survive the critical early weeks," he said.

Maternal behaviours can vary, particularly for first-time mothers like Luna.

"Early life remains a vulnerable period and despite attentive care, not every outcome can be predicted.

Losing a young animal is never easy for our team, and it’s something we feel deeply."

He added that the Mandai team will continue to support Luna and her surviving pup, and review the case "carefully".

In the meantime, other animals in the exhibit have also been spotted looking out for the little one, a keeper said in Mandai's Facebook video.

First pups in 10 years

The two pups were the first capybaras born at Mandai in a decade.

Born to mum Luna and dad Muniek, they weighed 1.6kg at birth and were born precocial, which means they were born with a thick coat of fur.

Capybaras are native to South America and are the world's largest living rodents, being closely related to guinea pigs.

They are semi-aquatic and strong swimmers, and are colloquially known as "floating potatoes".

Top image from Mandai Wildlife Reserve/Facebook