Guinea Pigs at the Petting Zoo

It is impossible to say exactly when the wild guinea pig became a pet; the first guinea pigs arrived in Europe over 400 years ago. While the Tschudi guinea pig—the wild relative of our domestic guinea pig—has a smooth, fairly uniform coat, domestic guinea pigs now come in a wide variety of colors and coat types.

Did you know?

While guinea pigs have become popular pets here, they are still raised and eaten for their meat in South America and Africa.