Capybara Onsen at Nasu Animal Kingdom, Japan

It’s that time of year again. The Japanese zoos heat up the hot tubs for the capybaras. The fruit floating in the onsen (hot tub) is yuzu, a citrus related to lemons. They also threw in a few apples and some big squashes.

As always, I have provided a “google translation” from the Japanese, unedited to retain as much of the humor as possible. A link to the original article in Japanese follows.

~~~~~~~~~~

Capybara, warm in Yuzuyu Nasu Animal Kingdom

Capybara soaked in yuzu hot water

Before the winter solstice on the 22nd, capybaras bathed in a hot spring with yuzu on the 20th at the zoo “Nasu Animal Kingdom” in Oshima, Nasu Town, and entertained about 50 visitors with their lovely appearance. Yuzu hot water is available until the 24th.

In order to survive the cold, we used the capybara open-air bath, which is only available in winter. In addition to 100 yuzu, 5 local apples and 2 pumpkins, which are capybara’s favorite foods, were added.

In the park where the snow that fell in the early morning remained, 15 capybaras were warming up leisurely, eating apples while soaking in the hot springs and enjoying the hot springs. Akiko Tomaru, a 34-year-old housewife in Nishimishima 4-chome, Nasushiobara, said with a smile, “It was cute. I was warm and healed.”