A zoo has issued a plea on social media for help in finding a capybara named Cinnamon which escaped from its habitat in Shropshire. Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World posted to its Facebook page on Monday announcing its “beloved capybara” was at large. The small, family-run zoo, located on the outskirts of Telford, said the last sighting of Cinnamon was on Saturday evening. It has urged the public to report any further sightings and advised that the rodent should not be approached.
“On Friday … our beloved capybara, Cinnamon, escaped from her habitat and entered the woodlands within the zoo grounds,” the statement read. “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.”
The zoo said it had reported the escape to the local council, adding that 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 added that “under no circumstances should a member of the public try to capture the animal by themselves”, explaining that, while capybaras are generally friendly animals, she could become unpredictable if alarmed or cornered. “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. Please wish us all the very best for the safe and swift return of Cinnamon. We appreciate all of your support in finding her.”
The search for an escaped capybara which fled a zoo four days ago is continuing “around the clock”. Cinnamon fled her habitat at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Telford on Friday and entered woodlands within the zoo grounds. The last sighting of her was on Saturday, after she managed to get beyond the perimeter fence. Zoo owner Will Dorrell said he believed Cinnamon had made it to the Humber Brook river, near the attraction's northern boundary, where “she’s probably living her best life”.
The zoo is conducting a “mass search” of the area with the help of a thermal camera drone operator. The search will be taking place on Tuesday evening. Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents and belong to the same family as the guinea pig. Cinnamon was born at the zoo alongside brother Churro, and is now around one year old. Mr Dorrell said the pair “stuck together” but that Churro was doing fine as their parents still live with them. “But obviously it would be nice to reunite them,” he said. Cinnamon has not been spotted since Saturday, where she was seen on Humber Lane. She was also spotted on Friday night via the zoo's trail cameras and almost went back to her enclosure, but was not close enough for keepers to do anything.
The public have been urged to report sightings to the zoo, but not to approach her for fear of scaring her and driving her further way. “She's very very tame, she wouldn't hurt anyone, she's just very likely to be timid,” Mr Dorrell said. “If it goes on [much] longer, she's not at imminent risk. She can very comfortably survive the weather, even though they prefer it a bit warmer, and locally there's loads of food and habitat.”
The zoo has also warned the public to avoid trying to capture Cinnamon themselves, as she might react unpredictably if cornered. They said that she has a great bond with her keepers and that they can likely encourage her back to her habitat without any physical intervention. This is not the first time that a capybara has escaped from the zoo. A few years ago, one managed to dig under a fence to get into an ostrich enclosure, but quickly realised she wanted to come back. While this is a lighthearted story, the zoo is taking the situation seriously and is working hard to bring Cinnamon home safely. They appreciate all the help they have been receiving from the public and hope that Cinnamon will be reunited with her family soon.
