Happy Thought for 30 January 2026

 

Have a Happy Thought:

Capybara are a famously relaxed animal. You can easily find photos of capybara happily laying in the sun, or in water, or anywhere really, often alongside other animals that you wouldn’t think would be “chill”.

So it should be of no surprise, but great delight to you, to hear that some zoos in Japan have created a competition called “Long Bath Showdown” to find out how long a capybara can sit and soak in a bath.

And yes, there are photos.

 

Here’s Hechima from Saitama Children’s Zoo Park, with a timer showing when she decided to end her bathtime.

Image: @capybarabath on X

And the winner: Prune, from Nagasaki Bio Park, who took a leisurely soak of 1 hour 45 minutes.

Image: @capybarabath on X

 

Capybara bath time is not restricted to this one competition – zoos all over the country let these beautiful creatures relax in heated water all winter long – and let visitors come and watch for a true moment of relaxation for everyone involved.

Capybara at Izu Shaboten Zoo, Shizuoka Prefecture

 

This week for #ShareGoodNewsToo:

If happy, chilled-out cute animals isn’t enough for you:

The Peruvian province of Satipo passed the Declaration of the Rights of Stingless Bees. This recognizes the rights of this, one of the oldest species of bees still on the planet, to “exist and maintain healthy populations, ecologically sustainable climatic conditions, and a healthy environment free from pollution and other impacts.”

This kind of recognition is the first for any insect, and hopefully the among the many and continuing ways that humans formally recognize that we are not the only species on this planet that deserves to live.

Read more here. Satipo (Perú) Municipal Ordinance: Rights of Stingless Bees”