New arrivals - Capybara pups born in UK safari park

Some exciting news for capybara fans.

Two pups have been born at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.

They're so little that they haven't even been named, and the park doesn't yet know if they are boys or girls.

The pups' parents, Mildred and Bart, normally live alongside other animals - Brazilian tapirs and three maned wolves.

But the pups are being given the VIP treatment.

Longleat said the newborns and their mum are settling in a special nursery area with a private pool.

Capybaras are the largest species of rodent and are semi-aquatic. That means they live partly on land and partly in water.

And they're no stranger to making it into the news. You might remember Samba, who escaped from a zoo in Hampshire or Cinnamon, who also went on the run!

The pups were born weighing 1kg each - that's the same weight as a litre of milk.

But when they're fully grown, they can reach between 35kg and 66kg, so the pups have a lot of growing to do.

Alexa Maultby, who's a keeper at Longleat, said they are all doing well.

"The pups will suckle from mum for approximately 16 weeks, whilst also eating some grass from a week old," Alexa explained.

Capybaras are able to move and swim within a few hours of being born.

Alexa said: "We're expecting mum and the pups to spend quite a bit of time in their private pool.

"While the pups won't be the best swimmers to begin with, they will learn quickly".

But if they're finding it a bit difficult, their mum is there to help.

The keeper said at the beginning the pups "may even ride around on mum's back while in the water".