Monkey and Capybara Form Unlikely Friendship at Denver Zoo
Chilly, rainy weather in Denver has many residents bundling up — and it turns out the animals at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance are doing the same. This week, zoo visitors were treated to an unexpected sight: Baya the howler monkey snuggling up with Rebecca the capybara in what staff called “seriously adorable cuddles.”
Photos shared by the zoo show the pair staying warm together, and guests who’ve seen them in person say their bond goes beyond cuddles — with reports of piggyback rides and plenty of playful interactions. Rebecca has lived at the zoo since 2021 alongside another capybara, Roy, but recently seems to have struck up a special friendship with Baya.
Baya arrived at the Denver Zoo earlier this summer with her three youngsters — Bruno, Banjo, and Buster — transferred from the Brevard Zoo in Florida as part of a conservation program. Their arrival marked the first time howler monkeys had been at the zoo since 2022, and they’ve quickly become a highlight for visitors.
Unlikely animal friendships are always crowd-pleasers, but this one feels especially heartwarming: a giant South American rodent and a tropical monkey finding comfort in each other during Denver’s cooler days. It’s just another example of how the zoo’s conservation programs bring species together in ways that surprise and delight.
