05/28/2026
Capybara Marsh was a beloved member of Jack Hanna's Animal Encounters Village at the Columbus Zoo for more than six years. Today, we celebrate his life, our memories with him, and all his favorite things.
Marsh was born at a private facility on October 19, 2019, and arrived at the Columbus Zoo shortly after alongside his two brothers. Most famously, Marsh was known for his relationship with his brother Delta. Together, these two were trained for daily "parades" to their yard during the warm season, which gave guests the unique opportunity to see them up close and, at times, gave Marsh the unique opportunity to explore outside of his predetermined path.
Though Marsh’s relationship with his brother eventually came to a natural end (as male capybara typically do not live together in small groups past maturity), they were able to live together much longer than many others in similar situations. During this time, Marsh acted as Delta's "seeing eye" companion, as his brother's vision faded to near total blindness. Marsh's patience, sociability, and gentle nature stand out across all his relationships. Capybaras are known for their acceptance of other species and during his life, Marsh befriended armadillos, tortoises, and native wildlife that shared exhibit space with him.
Recently, Marsh’s Animal Care team noticed some gradual weight loss and inappetence, which led them to bringing Marsh to our Conservation Medicine team for an examination. During his examination, our Conservation Medicine team discovered a large, inoperable mass in his coelom. At that time and with Marsh’s quality of life in mind, our teams made the difficult decision for humane euthanasia.
Marsh loved all things that a capybara would - a sunny day, laying in the grass, wallowing in a mud pit, eating the occasional piece of paper, and bedding down in a fluffy pile of wood wool. He could often be found on a hot summer day in a cold pool, or on a cooler day, in his "hot tub" submerged up to his eyes.
He was truly a social butterfly, charming guests and staff alike during capybara encounters. He will be greatly missed in Jack Hanna’s Animal Encounters Village and fondly remembered by all that had the honor of meeting him.
