Guinea pigs, such as Cavia porcellus, are known for their remarkable reproductive capacity.
This fact was recently highlighted at Hatton Adventure World, located in Warwickshire, United Kingdom, a recreational park that is home to a variety of animals. A male guinea pig named Randy managed to escape from his cage and access the area where the females were, triggering an avalanche of inevitable events.
It is estimated that Randy impregnated around one hundred females, which means that in a few months, the park could welcome the arrival of at least four hundred new individuals.
"One of our male guinea pigs managed to find his way to the female enclosure and apparently had a great time," said park director Richard Craddock. "We suspect that he may have been placed back in the wrong area by a visitor, perhaps after being petted, or that Randy somehow managed to escape from his enclosure to get to the females," Craddock explained.
"We believe that this new 'father', Randy, could have impregnated up to a hundred females. Considering that guinea pigs typically have litters of around four young, we could be looking at a huge 'baby boom,'" Craddock continued.
"Although we can't say how long Randy was in the female area, it could have been several weeks, which would have given him enough time to interact with the entire female population. The staff noticed that he seemed a little thinner than before. Now "He's been reunited with his male companions and certainly has a lot to brag about," Craddock added jokingly.
