A giant rodent may be the stuff of nightmares for some people, but in the case of Cinnamon the capybara its owners were “absolutely delighted” to get the animal back after a daring escape.
The disappearance of the one-year-old animal from its enclosure at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Shropshire on Sept 13 prompted an extensive search operation and global headlines.
It was found seven days later in a pond near to the park, forcing the zoo’s owners to wade into the water to coax it out.
Zoo owner Will Dorrell said they had to enter the pond, which measures around 50 by 20 metres, to catch the capybara and return it to its family.
“I had a call from my wife Becky, who is also one of the owners here, she had been out all afternoon tracking Cinnamon through our woodland and through the area,” he told Hits Radio News, adding that she found Cinnamon in the middle of the pond.
Cinnamon is now back with its twin brother, Churro, who is “very happy”, he added.
He told the BBC: “I’d love to say it was nice and easy getting her out of the pond but it wasn’t. Several of us got very wet.
“Cinnamon was quite happy in the pond so we had to get in with her and slowly try to coax her into the cage.
“I know that there will be lots of people who will be very excited to see her, but nobody more so than her own mum and dad.”
The capybara looks like a giant guinea pig and it is native to South America. It is the world’s largest living rodent.
Its stout appearance belies impressive survival skills – the animals are able to hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes and run up to 20 miles per hour.
Cinnamon made its daring bid for freedom last Friday when keepers entered the enclosure to mow the paddock, but didn’t realise the animal was hidden in long grass by the gate.
When the gate opened, it slipped out. Mr Dorrell said measures are now in place to prevent a similar incident.
He had previously told the BBC that Cinnamon was “probably living her best life” in the marshland and riverways near the zoo, which were a natural habitat for the animal.
It had been spotted in a field next to the zoo on Tuesday night, but escaped into impenetrable undergrowth when zoo staff approached.
The search team then paused its efforts until Thursday so that Cinnamon did not become too stressed.
“We’re absolutely delighted to have Cinnamon back at the zoo,” said Mr Dorrell.
