Cotswold Wildlife Park is celebrating a baby boom with new autumn arrivals enjoying their first Halloween.

The keepers at the park, near Burford, treated the newest additions to Halloween-themed enrichments.

The new babies include capybara triplets, a giant anteater pup, and a dwarf mongoose pup.


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The capybara triplets, named Twig, Bracken, and Bramble, are the first litter from the park's new breeding pair, Freya and Frankenstein.

These are the first capybara pups born at the park in six years.

Zoologist Desmond Morris described capybaras as "a cross between a guinea pig and a hippopotamus".

A giant anteater pup, named Anthony, is another addition to the park.

He is the third successful offspring of parents Zorro and Zeta since 2010.

The tiny pup can be seen riding on his mother's back in their enclosure.

This species is considered the most threatened mammal in Central America, feared extinct in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Uruguay.

The dwarf mongoose family, including their new pup, were also treated to a pumpkin enrichment.

The pumpkins were grown by Jubilee Gardens, a nearby charity.

This is the fourth year that students from the charity have provided the park's residents with pumpkin enrichments.

Assistant animal manager at the park, Chris Kibbey, said: "This time of year is a good opportunity to provide some seasonal enrichment for some of our animals and pumpkins are great.

"They can be hollowed out, carved with a scary (or smiley) face and some of the animal’s favourite treats hidden inside."

He added: "Giant anteater Zeta enjoyed using her long sticky tongue to slurp up mealworms in the pumpkin, with her newborn pup Anthony riding on her back.

"The new capybara family enjoyed their first taste of pumpkin.

"Even our new Oxford Sandy and Black piglets Lenny and Benny couldn’t resist the temptation and made light work of their pumpkin filled with their favourite food treats.

"Enrichment is an important part of our daily husbandry provision for most of our species.

"We provide enrichment to promote and encourage natural behaviours, and help to keep our animals mentally and physically stimulated."

The park is inviting visitors to see the new arrivals.