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Capybara Fernando Finds New Home And Companion At Wellington Zoo
Kate Green , Reporter
One might forgive Fernando the capybara if he looked a little uncertain about his new arrangement.
Late last year, Dia, the female capybara he's moving in with, left her former companion fatally injured in a fight when a reintroduction - after veterinary treatment - didn't go to plan.
But according to Wellington Zoo's mammals team leader Rob Harland said Fernando was a cool customer.
"He's quite a confident capybara actually, in the context that no capybara ever does anything too quickly," he said.
"They take their time and they think about the world before they decide to move and act."
Dia on the other hand was "a little bit more reserved".
Dia's former companion Luna had been sick for several weeks with chronic gut problems, and was taken out of the enclosure for blood tests late last year.
Acting wildlife director Nick Dunn told RNZ at the time, capybaras were "notoriously difficult - when you take one out of the group and have to put it back they can become quite aggressive towards each other".
He said the kinds of injuries Luna sustained would not normally have been fatal, but because Luna had been unwell, it was too much for her to overcome.
But with the start of a new year came a new chapter for Dia.
Plans had been in place before Luna got sick to introduce a male capybara as a mate, but Fernando's transfer was put on hold when Luna fell sick.
But he had recently made the journey from Brooklands Zoo in New Plymouth - a five-hour drive making for "a long day," Harland said.
Fernando and Dia would spend a couple of weeks at least getting to know each other through the wire, before they were allowed full contact.
"We're super fortunate here at Wellington Zoo to have two great habitats side-by-side," Harland said.
"So initially, they'll run side-by-side, bit of mesh-to-mesh kind of contact."
"And then when we're ready to put them together, we'll open up three different gates that we have, so the whole area becomes one big habitat that they can run and move through, with a fantastic pool for them both to swim in."
All going to plan, it would eventually be a productive pairing.
"He's actually here for the purposes of breeding, so we're hoping to have some little capybara pups in the near future."
Harland said close encounters were on hold until the pair had settled into a routine.
For now, the keepers were looking out for romantic gestures such as sitting side by side, touching noses and making positive noises, to tell the keepers it was time to open up the gates of love.
RNZ
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