The zoo keeper thinks she’s ‘living her best life’
A capybara has escaped from a zoo in Shropshire triggering warnings from keepers not to approach the animal.
The giant rodent named Cinnamon escaped from Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Telford on Friday with the last known sighting reported on Saturday.
The zoo said: “On Friday, September 14, our beloved Capybara, Cinnamon, escaped from her habitat and entered the woodlands within the zoo grounds.
“On Saturday evening she managed to get beyond the zoo’s perimeter fence and was spotted on a nearby road.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t had any further sighting of Cinnamon since Saturday evening, despite having teams working around the clock to locate her. It is likely that Cinnamon is in the vicinity of the zoo, The Humbers and surrounding fields where there is ample food and plenty of ponds.
“Although Capybara are generally friendly and inquisitive animals, the animal should not be approached as it could become unpredictable if alarmed or cornered.”
They went on to say that rodent, which is native to South America, has a ‘fantastic bond’ with her keepers and that she could likely be encouraged back to her habitat with no physical intervention.
Zoo owner Will Dorrell told the BBC that Cinnamon was ‘probably living her best life’.
He said Cinnamon had escaped when keepers entered the capybara enclosure to mow the paddock, as she was hidden in long grass near the gate.
Dorrell said: “Our two young capybara here are always trying to work out a different way of trying to cause us headaches.
“They’re extremely intelligent which a lot of people might not necessarily appreciate.
“She seemed to know what we were going to do and was waiting there ready for that gate to be opened.”
A mass search of the Humber Brook area is scheduled to take place on Tuesday evening with help from a thermal camera drone operator and keepers from the zoo.
Capybara, which are a part of the Cavy family along with Guinea Pigs, can grow up to four foot long and 24 inches tall, are sociable creatures who enjoy swimming.
Earlier this year, Japan opened a new Capybara Café in Tokyo as tribute to the South American animal.
