‘I wanna be capybara.’
‘In my next life, I will come back as a capybara…’
‘It’s not TikTok anymore, it’s CapyTok!’
It’s fair to say that the world has gone full-on capybara crazy if social media is anything to go by, with the furry South African mammals amassing a cult following that has set up hundreds of accounts sharing videos of the furry creatures, and garnering millions upon millions of likes.
Quick to jump on the capywagon and profit from their popularity, hotels, cafes and zoo enclosures are also popping up all over the globe, with merch ranging from slippers and rugs to cuddly toys, and t-shirts readily available.
Meanwhile, those extra devoted to the capybara cause are happily paying £25 for Florida-based viral sensations Pumpkin and Cheesecake to munch on a piece of edible paper with a personalised message. Nothing says romance like watching the world’s largest rodent chow down on ‘I love you’.
The world-famous pair are part of Dark Wings Wildlife, which has a combined 500k followers across social platforms, and became stars when their owner, Marina Somma, began documenting their early friendship after adopting them in 2022. Athough Pumpkin was initially hesitant about the pairing, she fell for Cheesecake’s charms and now they’re inseparable.
Here in the UK, Lotherton Wildlife World in Leeds has seen people visiting just to see their capybara residents, while Cinnamon at Telford Exotic Zoo became an overnight sensation last September after going missing for a week. She was eventually discovered in a nearby field.
Later this year, a Capybara café is opening in Norfolk, where it will be possible to stroke babies Clover and Sweet Pea while drinking vanilla oat lattes.
Weighing up to 146lbs, these creatures with their shaggy brown hair, blunt snout, barrel-like body, stumpy legs and webbed feet, have made the world fall in love with them – just being themselves. Some of the most viewed clips show capybaras hiccuping, carrying oranges on their head, hugging monkeys.
One viral post even suggested a similarity to movie star Glen Powell, known for blockbusters Top Gun and Twisters. ‘He looks like a capybara who made a wish to become human’, it read.
In response, Glen has since declared, ‘I am the capybara.’
Factually speaking, capybaras, or hydrochoerus hydrochaeris to use their scientific name, live to around eight years in the wild, can stay underwater for five minutes, survive on a herbivore diet, are around 4ft long… and eat their faeces.
Documentary maker Sharon Walia has spent the past year flying around the world, making stops in Japan, Florida, Yorkshire, and South America to capture the furry creatures.
The filmaker from Nottingham, who previously explored guinea pigs in Keeper of the Pigs and everyday heroes saving refugees in The Movement, knew she needed to act fast to make the educational wildlife film, The Route to Cappiness.
‘Someone was going to beat me to it otherwise,’ the 40-year-old tells Metro matter of factly. Although she wants to make one thing clear: ‘I loved them years before they went viral.’
Japan’s connection to capybaras
Japan was arguably the most important stop on her tour earlier this year, as it’s simply impossible to talk about capybaras without acknowledging the country’s connection. ‘They are everywhere,’ Sharon tells us.
The animal arrived at Izu Shaboten Zoo in the 1960s, after previously residing almost exclusively in the wilds of South America (where they still roam free). Here, a zookeeper discovered that capybaras like hot water puddles while cleaning out their enclosure. The happy accident led to the creation of a ‘capybara spa’ in 1982 — a pool of hot springs filled with floating lemons and flowers — which was an instant hit with visitors and catapulted them to national sweetheart status. They now reside in 59 parks across the country, and the ripples of the obsession are felt worldwide.
Sharon saw firsthand how popular the spa attraction has become: ‘It was packed. People come from all over to see them, and they stood so quietly and straight-faced watching them, almost in a trance.’
Sharing why she thinks they’ve become a sort of mascot in the Asian destination, she says: ‘Japan can be quite busy and fast-paced, capybaras help people cope with living in it. They bring about harmony and tranquillity.’
Sharon felt this particularly when meeting with Tokyo-based Yuseke Yoshida, who, a few years ago, was sick of working in a corporate office. At the end of the day, he was able to seek some joy from capybara videos.
Yuseke ‘fell in love’ with them, so was heartbroken to discover that having them as a pet would be difficult due to their need for vast space (around 20ft square) with secure fencing and water to swim in.
The Invasive Alien Species Act of Japan outlines regulations for importing and keeping certain exotic species, and capybaras can be subject to these restrictions. In the UK, approval is required from local authorities.
If approved, they cost around £1000 to purchase and must then be fed with grass, vegetables, fruits, and aquatic plants. Capybara owners also need to register the animal with a vet specialising in exotic animals, to get the required microchipping, public liability insurance and regular health checks.
Even so, rather than give up the dream, Yuseke quit his job and opened the tourist attraction, Cafe Capyba, in 2023.
‘He’s now loving life, and the site brings him so much inner peace,’ Sharon explains . ‘It’s a beautiful place and you can tell how much he cares about their wellbeing. He closes the cafe down for two hours in the middle of every day so the capybaras can go outside. He told me they enjoy human connection, and even get anxiety if they’re not around us.’
However, it should be noted that PETA has said these types of eateries are ‘confined, noisy, stressful environments that can never meet their needs’. Explaining why, the animal rights non-profit organisation say they can be a sensory overload, the animals lose autonomy, and young capybaras are often taken from their mothers.
Zen ambassadors
Sharon was not immune to the capybara’s powers and found herself particularly moved while staying at the Izu Resort Villa, also known as ‘Capybara Hotel’.
‘When you open the bedroom patio doors and step outside, you’ve instantly got capybaras all around you, sunbathing with their eyes closed. I couldn’t not smile,’ she recalls.
‘They are often called zen ambassadors, and I see why, as they made me forget about everything that causes me stress.
‘The film industry can be frustrating at times; it’s a tough sector for anyone to crack, but it felt extra toughat times. I’m British Indian, and people say to me, “You don’t look like someone who’d make films”. And I’m a parent to my five-year-old son, Marlon, who comes along to filming days, which can be hard work.
‘I was worrying less and less about those barriers the more I was around capybaras.’
Sharon believes that their calming energy could help viewers, too, despite occasionally doubting whether she’s picked the right subject.
‘I felt that because there’s so much stuff going on in the world with conflicts, I should be covering that. Doing a piece about animals seemed trivial,’ she honestly admits. ‘I have to remind myself that people need escapism. It can be upsetting when you switch on the news, and so, in a way, it’s just the right time for capybaras.’
Sharon wants to highlight the positive benefits of spending time around animals, or even just watching them on a screen. This is something she learnt from meeting Dr Jacqueline Boyd: ‘She explained to me that if you’re looking at an animal, such as a cat or dog video, it produces oxytocin, which is the love hormone, and it also reduces the stress hormone cortisol.’
The popularity of capybaras is already doing some good, with Marina, 32, using the personalised message profits to fund Darkwings Wildlife Centre, which aims to educate on misunderstood species. Meanwhile, issues such as the killing of capybaras for their skin are now being discussed more openly. And Sharon hopes to continue this: ‘I want people to realise that they can be more like capybaras. They can be kinder, calmer, and live a bit slower.
‘I don’t think capybaras are a passing trend; they are here to stay. Even just reviewing my footage makes me incredibly happy. They are therapy.’
The Route to Cappiness will be available to watch in December.
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