Zoo calls on public to help locate escaped capybara: ‘She should not be approached’

A zoo in England has asked for public help to find a capybara that escaped its enclosure and has not been seen in over two days.

The Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World, located on the outskirts of Telford in Shropshire , said its “ beloved capybara ” called Cinnamon escaped from its habitat and entered the woodlands within the zoo’s premises on Friday.

Cinnamon was last spotted on Saturday evening on a “nearby road” after she managed to cross the zoo’s perimeter fence, the family-run zoo said in a statement on Facebook.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had any further sighting of Cinnamon since Saturday evening, despite having teams working around the clock to locate her,” the zoo said, adding that the animal was likely in the vicinity of the zoo and the surrounding fields where “there is ample food and plenty of ponds”.

The zoo said it reported the escape to the council in line with the conditions of its licence and urged the public to report any sighting of the capybara to it.

Anyone who sees the animal “should call the zoo immediately on 01952 677 917 or 07908 726240 if between the hours of 5pm and 9am”, it said.

The zoo, however, cautioned the public against trying to capture the animal.

“Although Capybara are generally friendly and inquisitive animals, the animal should not be approached as it could become unpredictable if alarmed or cornered,” it said.

“Cinnamon has a fantastic bond with her keepers and it is likely that she can be encouraged back to her habitat with no physical intervention.”

Capybaras are the largest rodent species in the world, and they look like giant guinea pigs. They live in savannas and dense forests near bodies of water. They are a social species, usually found in groups of a dozen or so, and sometimes up to 100.

Capybaras became quite popular last year after their nonchalant nature captured millions of hearts on the internet, leading to an outpouring of memes and TikToks.