Baby Capybara Born at Hobbledown

Hobbledown is delighted to announce the arrival of a brand-new baby capybara, born just nine days before Christmas.

The baby, affectionately named ‘Spud’ due to their striking resemblance to a potato, was born last Wednesday to first-time parents Puffin and Robin. Both mum and dad are doing a fantastic job caring for their youngster, who is healthy, confident, and developing well. The team does not yet know Spud’s gender.

From today, Tuesday 23rd Dec 2025,  onwards, visitors will be able to see Spud out and about in the capybara and mara enclosure, located opposite the meerkats.

Lucy White, the park’s Zoo Operations Manager, says: “Welcoming Spud into the world just days before Christmas has been incredibly special for the whole team, and we’re so excited to finally introduce our visitors to this wonderful new arrival.”

The birth marks a joyful end to the year at Hobbledown Epsom, and offers visitors a heartwarming reason to stop by this festive season.

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents, and are well known for their calm, social nature and gentle temperament. At Hobbledown, the capybaras have quickly become firm visitor favourites, with the park’s ‘capybara experiences’ proving especially popular. These special encounters give visitors the chance to get up close with the capybaras, and discover what makes them such unique and charismatic animals.

For more information, or to plan your visit to meet this adorable new member of the Hobbledown family, head to www.hobbledown.com.