The “oranges” on capybaras’ heads are usually yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit. Japanese zoos float yuzu in their capybaras’ warm winter baths, following an old human custom of bathing with yuzu on the winter solstice. Because a capybara’s head is broad and flat and the animals sit very still while they soak, a fruit can rest on top, and in many famous photos someone has placed it there.
The tradition started at one zoo in 1982 and became one of the internet’s favorite capybara images. Here’s the whole story.
What yuzu is #
Yuzu is a citrus fruit of Chinese origin, grown widely in Japan. It looks like a yellow clementine with bumpy, uneven skin and is usually 5.5 to 7.5 cm across. It’s sour and intensely fragrant, which is why it’s used for its aroma and zest more than eaten like an orange.
In photos, ripe yuzu look orange-yellow, so most people online just call them oranges. Some capybara owners outside Japan recreate the look with mandarins or clementines.
The yuzu bath tradition #
In Japan, bathing with yuzu on the winter solstice (touji) is a custom that dates to at least the early 18th century. Whole fruits are floated in hot bath water, sometimes in a cloth bag, to release their scent. The practice is said to guard against colds, soothe rough skin, warm the body and relax the mind.
Those are traditional beliefs rather than proven medicine, but the appeal is obvious: a hot bath that smells like citrus in the middle of winter.
How capybaras got their own yuzu baths #
Capybaras come from the warm wetlands of South America, and Japanese winters are much colder. In 1982, a staff member at Izu Shaboten Zoo in Shizuoka was cleaning the capybara enclosure with hot water and noticed the capybaras huddling together in a warm puddle, soaking their feet. The zoo turned that discovery into a proper open-air bath, and it was the first zoo to do so.
Every winter since, the zoo has prepared warm baths for its capybaras, and around the solstice it adds yuzu, just as people do at home. The sight of big, sleepy rodents soaking in steam among floating citrus became a seasonal attraction. Our capybara hot bath story covers the history in more detail.
Why the fruit ends up on their heads #
Three things combine to make the famous picture.
A flat head built for water. A capybara’s eyes, ears and nostrils sit high on its head, so it can keep almost its whole body underwater and still see, hear and breathe. The top of the head is broad and flat, which makes a stable little platform when the animal is floating.
A very still animal. Soaking capybaras get deeply relaxed and can sit almost motionless for long stretches. A light fruit won’t be shaken off.
A helping hand. Bobbing fruit can end up resting on a capybara by accident, but in plenty of the best-known photos a keeper or owner has clearly set it there. Capybaras are used to birds and other animals sitting on them, so a yuzu doesn’t bother them.
From zoo tradition to internet meme #
For years, capybaras in yuzu baths were mostly a treat for zoo visitors in Japan. Social media changed that. Photos and clips of a capybara with a citrus fruit on its head, eyes half closed in steaming water, spread worldwide and became shorthand for being completely unbothered.
The image got a soundtrack around 2020, when capybara clips set to Don Toliver’s “After Party” took off. We explain that one in why capybaras “pull up”. Today the orange-topped capybara shows up on plushies, stickers and phone cases, and in games.
The orange-topped capybara in games #
Game designers love the image because it’s instantly recognizable.
- Chill Capy, a virtual pet from the same studio as this blog’s game, is built around it: your capybara lives in a hot spring and wears a yuzu on his head.
- Capybara Crossing, an endless arcade game where you hop a capybara across roads, rivers and railways, has an Orange Capy (200 coins, “fresh and fruity”) and a Hot Spring Capy (350 coins) whose perk makes the game’s eagle wait 20% longer before swooping. Both are bought with coins you collect while playing; there’s nothing to buy with real money.
Where to see capybaras in yuzu baths #
Izu Shaboten Zoo still runs its capybara bath every winter, with yuzu around the solstice. Other zoos adopted the idea, and in 2015 five of them formed a capybara open-air bath partnership: Izu Shaboten Zoo, Saitama Children’s Zoo, Nasu Animal Kingdom, Nagasaki Bio Park and Ishikawa Zoo. They hold friendly events together, including a winter contest to see whose capybaras stay in the bath longest. Check each zoo’s own site for dates before you travel.
Frequently asked questions #
Are those oranges or yuzu? #
At Japanese zoos they’re usually yuzu, a bumpy, fragrant citrus used in winter baths. They look orange-yellow in photos. Outside Japan, people recreating the look often use mandarins or clementines.
Do capybaras eat the yuzu? #
The fruit is there for the bath, not as food. Wild capybaras eat mostly grasses and water plants, and citrus isn’t part of their natural diet. See what capybaras eat in the wild for the details.
Why do capybaras sit so still in the bath? #
Warm water in cold weather is very relaxing for an animal adapted to the tropics. Capybaras also rest in water naturally, with just their eyes, ears and nose above the surface, so a long, still soak is normal behavior.
When can you see capybaras with yuzu in Japan? #
In winter. Capybara baths generally run through the cold months, and yuzu are traditionally added around the winter solstice in late December. Schedules vary by zoo, so check before you go.