KUALA LUMPUR: It is a hot and humid afternoon as visitors at Zoo Negara stroll by and pause to watch the capybaras - the world’s biggest rodent species - idyllically munching on shoots and leaves set on an elevated wooden dais almost 2m above the ground.
The capybara enclosure is large and sits lower than the pathways, with trees encircling the back and a low stone wall out front.
The cat and the giant rodents have been roommates of sorts for the past two or three years and the unusual pairing has become a draw and led to a revival of the zoo, which had suffered badly when the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions shut it down and cut off its revenue stream. "When we first discovered him, we saw he was very friendly with the capybaras. He would eat with them, ” Mohd Taufik Yazidbustami, senior zookeeper at Zoo Negara, told Bernama recently.The zoo usually does not encourage animals to interact with strays as it could be dangerous for them.
Zoo staff decided to allow the friendship to continue as the cat and the capybaras seemed to get along well. Oyen started getting his own food, not just bread.Covid-19 brought Oyen and the capybaras together, tying their fortunes. Zoo staff think the cat is one of the many pets abandoned near Zoo Negara.
The zoo has been quick to capitalise on this unexpected kinship, using social media to spread the word. Videos of Oyen and the capybaras have appeared on Rosly and Zoo Negara’s official TikTok accounts as well as visitors’ Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts, among others.
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