'I thought it was a prank': Telford zoo offers advice on escaped Hampshire capybara
A county zoo thrown into the international spotlight when its capybara escaped has been giving advice to a Hampshire attraction after one of its own residents gave keepers the slip.
Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World on the outskirts of Telford have offered direct support and expert guidance to Marwell Zoo in in the South of England following their own escape of a capybara earlier this week.
The incident involves Samba, a female capybara who recently arrived at the Hampshire attraction and escaped from a temporary holding area shortly after.
While another capybara was quickly recovered by Marwell Zoo, Samba remains at large after being spotted in the nearby village of Owslebury in Hampshire.
The team at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World were contacted due to their own first hand experience of a similar situation, after their capybara Cinnamon made headlines in 2024 when she escaped and spent a week on the run.
During the incident, Cinnamon evaded capture for several days before eventually being located in a nearby swamp.
The zoo deployed round-the-clock search teams alongside drone technology to track her movements and safely bring her back.
Drawing on that experience, the Shropshire based attraction has now shared practical advice with the team at Marwell Zoo to support efforts to locate Samba quickly and safely.
“At first, I thought the phone call was a prank, but then I quickly realised this was a legitimate animal escape,” said Will Dorrell, owner of Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World. “We offered some advice to the team at Marwell Zoo and we naturally hope that Samba is located and returned to the zoo as quickly as possible. The whole team at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World are willing to offer any support that we can to Marwell Zoo that may ultimately bring her home safely and quickly.”
A Facebook comment by the official Marwell Zoo Facebook page said that the team at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World had “been very helpful supporting their team.”
Capybaras, the world’s largest rodents, are intelligent, adaptable animals and strong swimmers, characteristics that can make them particularly difficult to locate once on the move.
Their tendency to seek out water and quieter, sheltered areas can further complicate search efforts.
Both zoos have echoed advice for the public to avoid approaching the animal and instead report any sightings directly to Marwell Zoo allowing trained professionals to manage the situation safely.
