Celebrity capybara Cinnamon spends Christmas with family at home

Cinnamon the capybara had fan mail from around the world after her recent great escape from a Shropshire zoo, but Christmas Day will be spent away from the headlines and her adoring public, in the privacy of her enclosure.

The adventurous one-year-old rodent will remain at home with her family, including her parents and brother Churro.

Christmas Day at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Telford is a special time for the keepers, who get to spend quality time with their favourite creatures while the site is closed.

Like many youngsters, Cinnamon will have presents, treats and games on Christmas Day – while avoiding too much sugar.

News of Cinnamon’s escape spread across the world in September, with media reports as far away as North America.

Animal lovers avidly followed her story during the week she was on the run before she was found in a conservation area near the zoo.

Now world-famous, Cinnamon and her big adventure have sparked internet memes, merchandise, a song, and a children’s book, which will raise money for the zoo.

Since her escape, zoo keepers have received emails from the public concerned for her welfare and who are checking on how she is.

Zoo owner Will Dorrell said letters have also arrived from across the world, including Australia, America and Canada.

The keepers have also been sent drawings and paintings of Cinnamon and are ready to receive more artwork for the rodent as the holidays approach, so there may be presents for Cinnamon when she wakes up on Christmas Day.

Christmas dinner in the capybara enclosure will include sweet potato on the menu, which is Cinnamon’s favourite food.

She is also partial to “a bit of banana”, but isn’t allowed too much of it, because it is high in sugar.

Cinnamon had her first birthday while she was on the run but celebrated it back at the zoo in October after she was found and brought home.

Keepers who made a birthday cake for her took her favourite food, steamed it, and mashed it, and shaped it into a cake before they wrapped it in banana leaves and placed it in a pumpkin for her to feast on.

“She loved it,” Dorrell said.

He admits, however, that it did look “a bit gross”.

Cinnamon had already turned one by then, but on the day of her official birthday party in October, about 500 people were at the zoo to join in the celebrations.

All the animals at Hoo Zoo get treats at Christmas that are mainly food-based, Dorrell said.

The keepers place food in treat balls, similar to those used for horses, so they can look for them and play with them to get the morsels out.

Dorrell said all the animals were treated equally.

“All of the animals get treats, and Cinnamon and all the capybaras get the same,” he said.

“It’s difficult not to single her out because of how much fuss she caused.

“It’s a bit like children.”

On Christmas Day, keepers still get up early to be at the zoo for 05:00 GMT, but they get to enjoy spending time with the animals while the site is shut to visitors.

That special time when the zoo is closed includes Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, before it reopens on 27 December, but it is unlikely the animals will get together for the festivities.

“I don’t think it’s too much of a party from the animals’ point of view,” Dorrell said.

“They are pretty nonplussed about the whole thing.”

He said there would be a Christmas party atmosphere from 27 December, when the zoo reopens to the public, and it may rub off on the animals then.

But what will the new year bring for Cinnamon, and has she got a taste for adventure?

Since her escape, the gate system has been changed, Dorrell said.

He thinks she made a break for it in the space of about 90 seconds while the gates were open after a keeper entered the enclosure with a tractor to mow it.

The keeper involved was mortified, Dorrell said, and had never made that mistake before.

But the tractor also backfired at the time, he added, and it might have startled Cinnamon, who then made a bolt for it.

Or she could have seen the gate open and taken her chance.

In any case, Dorrell said she did not travel far – only went about 250 metres from her habitat.

For Cinnamon, it may be that there is no place like home.