I’ve read that capybaras can live up to 12 years in captivity which is double their lifespan in the wild. How is this possible? For most other animals, captivity shortens their lifespan.
In: 2
Probably because they get eaten in the wild. Capybaras are not the best runners or realy do anything good that lets them survive predators.
Most animals do not have a shorter lifespan in captivity but rather the opposite.
When the animal is cared for, kept safe from predators and given good food and medicine, they live longer than the wild where they do not get that care.
I’m not sure where you heard that most animals don’t live as long in captivity. You probably hear about animals living shorter lives in captivity not because it’s more common but because it’s weird and that makes it news worthy.
About 80% of mammals live longer in captivity than in the wild. This is for several reasons. Lack of predators, medical care, abundant food, and a protected habitat are four of the big ones.
An animal that is raised in captivity faces no predators, is treated for diseases or injury and fed a well balanced diet with included supplements. . A Capybara in the wild *is* food for any number of predators, has no treatment for even the slightest injury that leads to death, and eats mostly grass and vegetation.
> For most other animals, captivity shortens their lifespan.
[That isn’t true.](https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/do-animals-live-longer-in-zoos/)
Animals in zoos are safe from predation, get treated for diseases, and get fed regardless of their competitive fitness.
There are exceptions, such as elephants, which live much longer in the wild.
Prey animals get killed and eaten in the wild. They generally don’t at the zoo unless something goes wrong.
> For most other animals, captivity shortens their lifespan.
This really depends on the type of captivity. Yes, a fox held in captivity for its fur will have a shorter lifespan than in the wild, but animals in zoos(where capybaras are usually kept) tend to life far longer than in the wild. reasons already have been posted by other people.
Almost all animals live longer in captivity than they do in the wild. The few species that don’t are unusual.
Animals live longer in captivity because they are exposed to fewer dangers, generally eat a healthy and balanced diet, and will receive veterinary care and checkups when needed. These are all things which, obviously, improves lifespan.
I assume OP is lumping farmed animals in with these statistics.
Wild animals live dramatically shorter lives than animals in captivity.
Latest Answers