By Iris Zhao and Jenny Cai, ABC News
Capybaras at a zoo in Shenyang City in northeast China. Photo: Imaginechina / AFP
After years of following them online, Li Jing finally met her spirit animal - the capybara - at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
"I first fell in love with capybaras when I saw their videos online. They were taking a bath in a Japanese zoo," Li said.
The 31-year-old, who works in the pet industry, said she adored them because they were "so cute, so quiet, and so chill".
"When I realised Taronga Zoo had them, I got really excited and immediately went to see them.
"Only four people can interact with the capybaras every day. People were lining up half an hour before tickets started to sell.
"Luckily, we got in. I fed them bamboo and they are just as cute as they are on video!"
The rodent species is a herbivore and can be found across most of South America, living in both wetlands and forests.
Semi-aquatic, they live partly on land and partly in water.
And they have won hearts all across the world in recent years.
Their rise to global stardom started in 2023, when a Russian blogger released a song called 'Capybara' that went viral on TikTok and received millions of likes.
In parts of Asia, the animal's popularity took off years earlier, with an active fandom developing in Japan in the early 2010s, followed by China.
There are many cute animals around, but there is something special about capybaras, according to Li.
"They have the vibe of being able face everything with a relaxed attitude ... walking slowly, eating slowly and standing very still.
"They are also so friendly and can live harmoniously with other animals without conflict.
"Many people nowadays feel a lot of anxiety, and these qualities of capybaras are healing and release the pressure."
A spiritual totem in a post-pandemic world
Like Li, many young people on social media are increasingly using capybara content as a form of self-expression.
Its emojis are widely used and translated into different languages.
And in China, an online community of capybara lovers have identified themselves with the phrase "túnmén", which carries the connotation of piously following the capybara way of life as if it were a religious teaching.
Qian Gong, a researcher of Chinese popular culture at Curtin University, said the "highly volatile and super competitive" environment of the post-Covid era was one reason why the animal had become so popular among young people in Asia.
"Capybaras seem to be favoured particularly for their temperament - emotionally stable and having a calm attitude," Dr Gong said.
"Young people have been struggling to cope with pressure and many could not see the point of trying hard and joining the rat race."
Gong added that internet neologisms like "lying-flat" and "quiet quitting" reflects the same kind of sentiment - but in comparison, a capybara's temperament carried a more positive connotation than these terms.
The idea of "lying flat" refers to working just enough to get by in China.
And instead of the rat race, it turns out young people have embraced a very different rodent.
"The capybara's personality is described by fans as 'buddha-like', suggesting a desire to seek peacefulness and tranquillity," Gong explained.
The rise of a 'capybara economy'
Beyond the internet craze, capybaras have also found their way into people's lives and created new business opportunities.
Pinyu Chen is the manager of a capybara-themed cafe called Mogu Kabi in the Taiwanese city of Tainan.
It opened in January 2022 and is home to five of the animals.
"At the time, capybaras weren't as popular in Taiwan as they were in Japan," Chen said.
"We started doing this after seeing them on a Japanese tourist show. We imported baby capybaras from the United States.
"But today, almost every city has a capybara farm."
According to Chen, the cafe immediately became popular, attracting customers from all over the world.
"We are really surprised about the level of enthusiasm people have for capybaras."
But, she said, capybaras have a "timid and sensitive nature", so are often nervous around strangers.
"Therefore we limit the number of customers allowed to interact with them."
Capybaras attract visitors at a zoo in Shenyang City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, 14 July, 2024. Photo: AFP
Fans have sometimes lined up at the cafe for more than two hours just to get a chance to see them.
Capybara-themed merchandise can also be found almost anywhere in Asia in the form of soft toys, key chains, backpacks and blankets.
These kind of products have been relatively rare in Australia, but recently a variety of capybara toys made their debut in several Melbourne stores.
Shop owner Polly Zeng, 28, said her capybara products sold out in under three weeks.
"I brought them here because I personally really love capybaras," she said.
"I had no idea whether they would appeal to Australian consumers.
"It turns out that they sell so well.
"The younger generations are more focused on their own wellbeing and want to reject overthinking."
Animal rights concerns
The popularity of capybaras has prompted some people overseas to keep them as household pets.
However, many owners have lacked the necessary expertise in caring for them, prompting animal welfare concerns from advocates.
Under federal and state law it is illegal to have a capybara as a pet in Australia. Whereas it is legal in some parts of Asia.
Huang Yuan, a vet from China's central city of Wuhan, said he once treated a capybara which was found abandoned.
"A zookeeper sent [the animal] to me and told me it was rescued by a resident," he said.
"The capybara got septicaemia. It stopped eating and its stomach bloated.
"It died soon after the surgery," the vet added.
Chen said although many of her cafe's patrons had expressed the desire to have a pet capybara, it would not be right for the welfare of these tranquil animals.
"It is an aquatic animal, it likes to play with water," she explained.
"You also need to have at least two capybaras at a time, because they are social."
Therefore, she said, they are "not suited for the conventional home environment".
Li shared a similar sentiment.
"The better way is to watch them at a distance, rather than getting too close," she said.
"We need to try our best to create the environment that can maximise their happiness.
"I will just go to Taronga Zoo to see them once in a while."
This story was originally published by ABC News.