The Internet Loves Capybaras
The giant rodent has become the star of memes, TikToks, and more.
Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, look kind of like giant guinea pigs. They love to swim in shallow water and hang out with other capybaras and are known for their friendly and calm demeanor. They’re even referred to as “nature’s chairs” because they will let other animals sit on top of them.
So naturally, they’ve become an internet sensation.
It all started with Caplin Rous (Rodent of Unusual Size), a captive capybara who had his own blog, Facebook page, and Twitter, earning him the title of “World’s Most Famous Capybara.” Although Caplin died in 2011, his legacy lives on.
Over the past few years, capybaras have been getting lots of love and admiration on YouTube. “Dog and Capybara” has close to 14 million views. Last year, a video of a capybara with a mandarin orange on its head went viral. Earlier this year, people were fawning over a video of several capybaras taking a hot bath.
There has also been a rise in capybara Instagram accounts. Many will post daily photos of capybaras. Others are dedicated to documenting the lives of specific capybaras (much like the owner of Caplin Rous had done), which people have as pets or rescues.
There’s a capybara subreddit, r/capybara, with close to 48,000 members. People also love to post capybara content on Twitter.
The love for capybaras has now transferred to TikTok as well. In the same way that Bull Terriers have been personified and dubbed “Walter” on TikTok, so have capybaras, but with the name “Ralph.”
In the age of quarantine, many capybara lovers may be upset that they can’t visit them in zoos right now. But there’s no need to worry — because you can now Zoom with one.
