This provided photo shows Kokone of Saitama children's Zoo Park participated in the capybara watermelon eating contest. (Photo courtesy of Saitama children's Zoo Park)
NASU, Tochigi -- Capybaras from five zoos in Japan faced off in a watermelon eating contest, with a 5-year-old female from a facility in Saitama Prefecture winning in 2 minutes and 35 seconds.
The "Capylympic" was held on Aug. 5 at five zoos: Saitama children's Zoo Park in Higashimatsuyama, Saitama Prefecture; Izu Shaboten Zoo in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture; Nasu Animal Kingdom in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture; Nagasaki Bio Park in Saikai, Nagasaki Prefecture; and Ishikawa Zoo in Nomi, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The capybaras representing each zoo competed for time by seeing which one could finish eating about 500 grams of watermelon with the skin remaining the fastest.
The winner, Kokone from Saitama children's Zoo Park, took on the challenge without an audience during the closed hours of the park due to measures against the coronavirus. She kept eating and eating, but left one piece, so the zoo staff "watched the video back and timed it again." Kokone won the event for the second straight time following the previous contest in 2019.
Kobu, a 1-year-old male from Nasu Animal Kingdom, competed for the first time, but he did not eat a single piece of watermelon and was forced to withdraw. He was chosen because of his competitive spirit, having won the long bath contest in January 2021. However, it would have been the first time for him to eat watermelon, but due to the severe heat, he refused to get out of the pool. Despite the cheers of park visitors, he couldn't soak up victory.
In place of Kobu, 7-year-old female Yuzu competed, but she was unable to eat all the watermelon, leaving the skin behind. An official at Nasu Animal Kingdom disappointedly said, "We used the local Yoichi watermelon, which has a high sugar content and is delicious."
(Japanese original by Seiichi Yuasa, Otawara Local Bureau)
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