Birthday party for capybara who escaped from zoo

A birthday party is to be held for a capybara who became world famous after escaping from a zoo.

Cinnamon's third birthday will be marked by staff at Hoo Zoo near Telford, two years after the intrepid rodent left her enclosure after a gate was accidentally left open.

She spent a week "living her best life" before zoo staff waded into a pond in a nearby conservation area to try and coax her home. Her adventures sparked world-wide news coverage and her story became the theme of a children's book.

The zoo invited visitors to "enjoy birthday-themed activities", but admitted that "knowing her she'll be the other end of the field and [have] absolutely zero interest in people".

"I'm not being horrible to her here, but capybaras in general they're not the most charismatic of animals," zoo owner Will Dorrell said adding Cinammon was not "overly fussed" about the attention that she gets.

"Half the time you look at her and she's a bit of a diva and she just sort of turns her back to you."

The zoo said it had got "some nice birthday treats" for one of its "most loved residents".

Cinnamon celebrated her first birthday while she was on the run.

"It's her third birthday now, so we're crossing our fingers and touching wood and everything that there won't be a repeat," Dorrell said adding her disappearance had been "quite stressful" at the time.

There had been concerns she could end up on neighbouring Ministry of Defence land or nearby roads.

The owner said: "I can't lie and say that it hasn't actually overall been good for business, not that in any way shape or form would I condone or suggest that animals getting out [is]... helpful.

"But on that particular occasion actually it has been something that's been really, really helpful and people love coming to see the capybara."

As for the famous resident, he said now "when people come in, it's [a case of seeing] 'the dinosaur, Cinnamon and then we'll see everything else afterwards'.

"It's very, very surreal two years on that it's still having the effect that it is."

Various fake capybaras have been planted around the zoo that people can go and find as part of a trail.

"We're gonna be doing a bit of a sort of special capybara talk [and] probably getting people to sing happy birthday to her."

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.