Capybara capybara capybara capybara – these animals have been taking the spotlight of late and here’s your chance to meet and feed one! At the ticketed Hello From The Wild experience that takes place at Boat Plaza, River Wonders, you will have a chance to meet a capybara and get real close to him, feed him, and even give him a handshake.
Meet at Capybara: Encounter Your Favourite Animal at River Wonders
Visitors to River Wonders would probably have seen the capybaras in the wildlife park, in their enclosures, during the Amazon River Quest ride and at the Once Upon a River show.
Hello From The Wild is the best way to get up close and personal with Moe the capybara. The 10-year-old is a seasoned resident at River Wonders and a highly trained one too.
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Meeting Moe the Capybara at Hello From The Wild, River Wonders
The honest truth is capybaras are one of my favourite animals and I was beyond thrilled to be able to attend the media preview of Hello From The Wild. Since I was a fellow “rodent” (born in the year of the rat), I was sure we would connect quite quickly.
First the keeper Tasha shared more about capybaras and briefed us on what we can or cannot do. This prepared the group to meet Moe. He strutted in very confidently and stood on his platform, obviously very poised and ready to meet the curious onlookers.
We then took turns to feed him from a pail of assorted vegetables and fruits. His favourites are obviously corn and apple, not long bean nor carrot. Does this fussy eating habit sound familiar?
What surprised me was he did not smell at all, unlike other rodents that are known for being dirty or disease-spreaders. Tasha shared that capybaras are very clean animals. This definitely assured me enough to want to pet him.
We then peppered Tasha with questions like how many babies capybaras have at one go, the typical weight (Moe weighs 35kg) of a capybara, lifespan and more details that only capybara keepers would know.
Throughout the session, Moe would calmly feed from our hands, give us his hand for a shake and even pose for the camera!
How to Train a Capybara
Food and lots of positive reinforcement, of course! Moe was really obedient and fellow parents had to find out what the secret to his behaviour was. Clearly, his favourite food was an incentive.
The participants also learnt to give him scratches on his neck and pets on the sides of his body.
During the Hello From The Wild experience, keepers also shared how enrichment is setup for the capybaras. First, a target stick is used to direct Moe and then when he complies, he is immediately given food as an incentive.
There is also a setup where food is hidden in a container. Moe will then have to look for it by turning the container till the food falls out of the container. This stimulates him enough so he doesn’t exhibit less desirable behaviours such as feeding off random plants.
We then took a picture with Moe as a valued memory from the experience. Then it was time to wave goodbye, sadly.
Gift a Valuable Experience – Meet a Capybara
Hello From The Wild Capybara encounter is held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 3.15 pm to 3.35 pm.
Tickets start from $42.40 per person and the maximum capacity per group is 10.
Pricing:
Public: $53/person
WildPass Holders – 10% off, $47.70* /person
Friends of Mandai/Friends of Mandai Plus – 20% off, $42.40* /person *Price after discount
Book your Hello From The Wild experience here.
