Efforts to find Cinnamon the escaped capybara are to resume at Hoo Zoo in Telford, Shropshire, after concerns that she could move on to Ministry of Defence (MoD) land. She escaped from her enclosure on 13 September and has been living in zoo-owned woodland outside the site’s perimeter since. Cinnamon has been spotted by drones in the woodland and the zoo has already put down traps on tracks that she had regularly left in the area. The fugitive rodent has refused to take the bait and zoo’s owner, Will Dorrell, said that the thicket she is in is “literally impenetrable”.
“If she sits right in the middle of there, practically speaking, the only way of getting to her is by chopping everything down, which is not a realistic way and also could scare her or cause injury to her,” said Dorrell. The woodland sits next to an MoD site and the zoo is concerned that if she moves there, they might not be able to capture her.
Cinnamon’s story has attracted international attention, with media descending on the zoo and interview requests from as far away as the USA. Although Cinnamon’s family is not distressed, they have been “off colour” and spending quite a lot of time near the gate that she escaped through, said Dorrell.
Capybaras are not an endangered species, growing to more than one metre in length and are native to South America where they are found living in small herds on grassland, in tropical rainforest, and in wetlands across the continent. They are the world’s largest rodent species, capable of staying mostly submerged in water for long periods of time. Capybaras eat grass and aquatic plants and often eat their own droppings to help absorb nutrients.
Overall, the search for Cinnamon continues as the giant rodent is still at large despite efforts to trap her with traps set in her typical travel areas. Only time will tell whether or not Cinnamon will eventually be found or if she will continue living on her own in the woodland outside of the zoo
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