I was surprised to discover that there are capybaras in the zoo at Selangor for a couple reasons. First, I had to google Selangor (it’s one of the states in Malaysia) and then Kuala Lumpur (it’s the national capital and largest city in Malaysia.) Kuala Lumpur was the 10th most-visited city in the world in 2017, so I guess we should all add it to our bucket lists. And now we know where it is.

Second, while capybaras are well-represented in western zoos, and they are downright common in Japan, elsewhere in Asia they are notably absent. Australia and New Zealand have recently imported a few, and there are some in Thailand, but Malaysia is big news.

Photo: D Kanyakumari

Third, this is a great way to celebrate Year of the Rat. Rodents are usually overlooked and it’s refreshing to see this positive spin on them. Of course, this is a zoo, and we ought to expect them to do it right.

This article has some nice photos, so be sure to follow the link. Try to guess which rodents they decided to feature– you might be surprised!

Source: Cute and harmless: Exotic rodents charm visitors in Selangor petting zoo this CNY