'Masbro' Capybaras Remain a Crowd Favourite at Ragunan

Capybaras briefly became a popular animal on social media due to the ‘Masbro’ meme in 2023. It turns out that the capybara’s popularity continues to this day. This is evident from the large number of visitors who see the capybaras at the Ragunan Wildlife Park, South Jakarta, Friday (15/5/2026). One visitor from Cianjur, Arif, said he was curious about the original form of the capybara. He said that capybaras have been widely discussed on social media. In fact, he said, it has become an inspiration for accessories. ‘Yes, my child likes to see capybaras, it’s viral. There are dolls, keychains, accessories, on social media too. He was curious, so I brought him here. I did intend to see the capybaras,’ said Arif. Arif admitted that this was his first time visiting Ragunan. He assessed that the facilities and atmosphere in the zoo were quite good. ‘Ragunan is good. In my opinion, the price is cheap to enter here, the place is clean, the service is also good. Earlier, my uncle had difficulty walking, so a wheelchair was immediately provided, as well as a special parking spot for cars,’ he said. A visitor from Karawang, Rafi (18), said he came to Ragunan after dropping off his family who were about to go on the Hajj pilgrimage. He admitted that he had not visited for a long time and felt nostalgic when he returned there. ‘I’ve only been to Ragunan twice. The first time was when I was little with my parents,’ said Rafi. Rafi said that visiting Ragunan was like going back in time. He remembered that the first time he went to Ragunan, he was often carried by his parents. ‘Yes, it’s like a memory. I forgot how old I was, I was still often carried. I saw the elephants with my father, I was carried then,’ he said. ‘Masbro’ Attracts Many Visitors The Head of Public Relations of Ragunan Wildlife Park, Wahyudi Bambang, said that initially, capybaras did not receive much attention from visitors. However, when it went viral, suddenly many visitors asked about the location of the capybara enclosure. ‘Yes, it went viral because of that, so many people asked, ’Where is Mas Bro?’. We were confused, ‘What is Mas Bro?’. We then found out that ‘Mas Bro’ is a capybara,’ said Bambang when met at Ragunan, South Jakarta, Friday (15/5). Bambang said that currently there are about 20 capybaras kept at Ragunan. In fact, he said, the success of breeding capybaras at Ragunan is better than other zoos. ‘Besides the virality, it just so happens that the population at Ragunan is quite large, and the success of births is also high. Because in some other zoos, it is said that this animal is quite difficult to breed,’ he explained. Bambang added that currently there are three capybara enclosures at Ragunan. With this, visitors can see capybaras more freely because they have many location choices. ‘There is one near the anoa, then in the middle near the elephants. Then there is another one near the small mammals, near the lion enclosure,’ he said. On the other hand, Bambang said that capybaras do not yet have special events or shows like gorillas. However, he is ready to accept input if there are many requests for special capybara events or shows at Ragunan. ‘Last Sunday, the gorilla had a birthday. There was a gorilla birthday event. But for capybaras, there hasn’t been one yet. Maybe it’s not a trend yet. But if there are suggestions from the public, maybe we can have a capybara feeding time,’ he said. About Capybaras and the Masbro Meme In 2023, capybara memes were widely circulated on social media. The animal was given the nickname ‘masbro’ by netizens because it was considered friendly with other animals, even predators. Videos of capybaras standing calmly near the snout of a crocodile were widely circulated on social media. There were even videos showing capybaras standing on the back of a crocodile swimming with other crocodiles in the river. The most striking characteristic that distinguishes capybaras from other animals is their relaxed or chill nature. Capybara memes made by netizens are often associated with the capybara’s friendly, calm, and sociable character. The capybara caretaker at Ragunan Wildlife Park at that time, Trio Prasetio, said that capybaras are a type of herbivorous animal. Their food includes fruits to tubers. ‘They eat fruits, tubers, grasses, and also stems, because they are rodents. So the function of the stems is to grind their teeth so that they don’t continue to grow,’ he said. ‘Then their favorite here is corn. In the morning, we give them several types of food, there is corn, there are sweet potatoes, there are carrots, there is papaya, and so on. So their characteristic is that when they eat, they choose what they like best first, the corn is finished, then they move on to the sweet potatoes,’ he continued. Trio said that capybaras, which originally come from South America, are animals that are not aggressive and friendly. According to him, this mammal has a strong character of loyalty to its group. ‘At first, maybe we see it and think it’s scary, its teeth are long. But, after interacting, it turns out that it is an animal that has a strong group bond. Also, its interaction with its surroundings is relatively good,’ he said. Even though they look relaxed, capybaras are sensitive animals. Capybaras often hide in the tall grass in their enclosure when they feel scared or threatened.