Tupi's tale: Meet the San Antonio Zoo's viral capybara cutie
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If Tupi fits, it sits. Photo: Courtesy of San Antonio Zoo
Tupi, the San Antonio Zoo's capybara, may be only two months old, but it has already captured the hearts of locals and animal lovers worldwide.
Why it matters: Tupi's undeniable cuteness and quirky personality have turned the capybara into a viral sensation, helping boost visibility for the San Antonio Zoo during a time when zoos are eager to replicate the viral success of animals like Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo.
- The buzz has generated a New York Times feature and a $TUPI memecoin (which the zoo doesn't profit from).
Driving the news: Tupi was born Dec. 3, marking the first capybara birth at the zoo since 2000.
- Tupi, whose sex will be determined in February, was named after the Indigenous tribe of the Amazon River Basin, where capybaras are native. It's the Tupi tribe that gave the species its name, which means "grass eater."
- Tupi joins its mom, Luna; another capybara named Ginny; and two giant anteaters, Demetrio and Sprout, in a mixed-species habitat that was unveiled last March.
Between the lines: What may make Tupi even more lovable is its "unbothered" demeanor, zoo social media coordinator Jacob Downing tells Axios.
- Despite the growing crowds around the viewing window at its habitat, Tupi remains focused on discovering the world around it, like any baby would, Rachel Malstaff, the zoo's director of mammals, tells Axios.
- "Tupi is just a very fun little one. They like to get the zoomies, run around the yard, take a nap, and then get up for a snack," she says.
- Tupi's favorite foods include lettuce, grass and bamboo, which it sometimes hilariously crawls into a bowl to reach more comfortably.
Zoom out: The in-person attention has translated into online fame, with Downing steering the wheel of Tupi's growing popularity.
- Downing jokes that he practically "lives" at Tupi's habitat to capture content, but it's paying off. He says Tupi always seems to give its fans what they want, whether the capybara realizes it or not.
By the numbers: Tupi's debut Instagram post garnered 22,000 likes. Now, any content featuring Tupi is a guaranteed hit — like a video of its tiny "ear wiggles," which racked up nearly 650,000 likes. On TikTok, Tupi's videos consistently hit millions of views.
What they're saying: "It's just cool to see how people are absolutely in love with this little guy or girl," Downing says.
- Downing's favorite moments include when Tupi was startled by a crow and a memorable "monch" moment.
What's next: Downing plans to post daily updates on Tupi's yard activities, so stay tuned as Tupi continues to grow.