KANSAS CITY – The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is mourning the loss of its only capybara.
The 12-year-old capybara named Ripple was said to have been a guest favorite since her arrival to the Kansas City Zoo in 2017. She was euthanized on December 29th following a decline in health due to her advanced age and non-treatable cancer.
The zoo says Ripple was known for her independent personality; she loved swimming in her pool, rolling in mud wallows, munching on fresh browse, and scratching on the rockwork of the habitat to satisfy an itch.
The Kansas City Zoo says it will be working with the Association of Zoos & Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan to provide a home to other capybaras in the future.
Capybaras are native to the South American tropics. They are the largest rodent on the planet, growing as large as four-feet long and two-feet tall.