WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A capybara love story at Palm Beach Zoo continues to blossom more than a year after two animals were paired together, with zookeepers hopeful for babies in the future.
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Iyari, a female capybara, arrived at the zoo about a year ago when she was just one year old. She was paired with Zeus, a male capybara, and their relationship has grown stronger over time.
Palm Beach Zoo
Love is in the air! Meet the Palm Beach Zoo's capybara couple
"It is going amazing. We've been able to watch her grow and watch their relationship grow over the last year," said Devin Clarke, supervisor of primates and mammals at Palm Beach Zoo. "I was the one who was able to get her from the airport and bring her here and get her settled."
Clarke said Iyari was initially wary of her caretakers, but has become more comfortable with training and medical care, including ultrasounds to monitor her health.
"At that time, she wasn't really too fond of us," Clarke said. "She'd come over every so often, but nowadays she's coming over and really being involved in her training and ultrasounds because we've seen a lot of interest between them."
The zoo is hopeful the pair will eventually reproduce, and Clarke said there are positive signs of their compatibility.
"It's going really well," Clarke said. "We see lots of activity happening and we really take her lead on that, showing us she is very interested in Zeus and Zeus is very interested in her."
Iyari maintains control during her care, particularly during ultrasound appointments.
"She will come over. She will lay down, but when it's done, it's done," Clarke said.
For Clarke, watching Iyari mature has been the most rewarding aspect of the experience.
"I think my favorite part is watching Iyari come into her own," Cllarke said. "When she got here, she was still young, about a year old, and watching her grow, come into maturity, start that relationship with Zeus, and continue to blossom in her relationships with her zoologists is really heartwarming."
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