Capybara named Cinnamon found days after UK zoo escape
LONDON -- A capybara that went missing from her enclosure in Telford, United Kingdom, was located on Wednesday after sparking a dayslong search.
Cinnamon, a "beloved" Capybara, escaped from her enclosure at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World on Friday, Sept. 14, sparking a dayslong search with teams "working round the clock" to locate her.
"We have located her in a field about 200 meters from the zoo," zoo owner Will Dorrell told ABC News on Wednesday. "We are hopeful that we can recapture her in the next few days," said Dorrell, adding that Cinnamon was found looking "happy and in good condition."
The capybara fled her habitat at the Telford Zoo five days ago, Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World saying in a statement, adding that Cinnamon 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," said the zoo. That was the last sighting of the Capybara at the time of the statement.
Cinnamon's disappearance sparked a mass search in the vicinity of the zoo, where it was believed she was located due to the "ample food" and "plenty of ponds" in the area. A local thermal operator, zookeepers and several volunteers participating in a search of the area on Tuesday evening following an "around-the-clock" search by teams the previous days.
Hoo Zoo told ABC Cinnamon is a 1-year-old and is one of four Capybaras at the zoo alongside her parents, Chimu and Chincha, and her twin brother, Churro.
"Cinnamon is greatly loved and missed by her keepers who are continuing to give extra care to her parents and brother who remain at Hoo Zoo," said the Zoo on Tuesday.
Dorrell told ABC that, although they had found Cinnamon, there was still some work to do to retrieve the Capybara: "The area she's in is significantly more accessible for Capybara than humans."
Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world, native to the forests and wetlands of South America. The species has been undergoing "slow declines" according to the International Union for Conservation of nature. They are classified as "least concern" on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species.
"Although Capybara are generally friendly and inquisitive animals, the animal should not be approached as it could become unpredictable if alarmed or cornered," said the zoo, describing Cinnamon as "very timid" but with a "fantastic bond" with her keepers.
"It is likely that she can be encouraged back to her habitat with no physical intervention," the zoo said.
