Step into a keeper’s boots and discover the world of Cinnamon and friends!
Find out more about the animals included on this experience!
Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents, native to South America’s rivers, wetlands, and grasslands. Recognizable by their large, barrel-shaped bodies, short fur, and calm, friendly faces, they are social, gentle, and highly adaptable.
These herbivores feed mainly on grasses, aquatic plants, and fruits. Excellent swimmers, capybaras spend much of their time in or near water, using it for safety, cooling off, and social interaction. They live in groups, showing strong social bonds and cooperative behaviours.
At Hoo Zoo, our Capybara helps visitors learn about the fascinating adaptations of semi-aquatic mammals, the importance of social behaviours, and the need to conserve wetland habitats. Observing these gentle, curious animals up close gives visitors a chance to appreciate their social intelligence, adaptability, and important role in their ecosystems. And meet the world famous Cinnamon!
Domestic Guinea Pigs are small, gentle rodents originally domesticated from wild cavies in South America. Recognizable by their compact bodies, soft fur, and bright, curious eyes, they are friendly, social, and full of personality.
These herbivores feed mainly on hay, fresh vegetables, and fruits, using their strong teeth to nibble continuously. Highly social, guinea pigs thrive in groups, communicating with squeaks, purrs, and playful interactions with each other.
At Hoo Zoo, our Domestic Guinea Pig helps visitors learn about the care, behavior, and social needs of small mammals, as well as the history of domestication. Observing these charming, curious animals up close gives visitors a chance to appreciate their gentle nature, social intelligence, and important role as companions to humans.
Ever wondered what it takes to care for the world’s largest rodents? Join our experienced keepers for a one-hour Capybara Keeper Experience, featuring the world-famous Cinnamon and friends!
Get involved in preparing their food, creating enrichment and observing their behaviour as you discover what life as a capybara keeper is all about. You’ll also meet their smaller relatives, our guinea pigs, before finishing with a short visit to our lemurs!
Prepare Their Menu: Help prepare part of the capybaras’ daily diet and discover what goes into keeping these wonderful animals well fed and healthy.
Create Capybara Enrichment: Help make an activity for our capybaras to investigate and enjoy. Learn how keepers encourage natural behaviours, then see whether your creation catches their interest!
Meet Their Smaller Relatives: Spend time with our guinea pigs and discover what they have in common with their much larger cousins. Pick up practical care tips along the way—particularly useful if you have guinea pigs at home!
Observe Cinnamon and Friends: Join your keeper inside the capybara enclosure and discover the personalities behind these much-loved animals. Use your illustrated activity booklet to record the behaviours you spot, from grazing and exploring to swimming or simply taking it easy.
A Lucky Feeding Opportunity: If you’re particularly lucky, our capybaras may choose to approach, giving you the opportunity to offer them food under your keeper’s guidance.
Meet the Lemurs: Round off your keeper experience with a short visit to our lemurs—a final thank-you for helping care for our animals!
A Keepsake to Take Home: Complete your own keeper activity booklet with observations, discoveries and memories from your experience.
Photo Opportunities: Bring your camera to capture your time with Cinnamon and friends, following your keeper’s guidance throughout.
This is a keeper experience focused on animal care, enrichment and observation. Hand-feeding, stroking and close contact with the capybaras are not guaranteed.
Our capybaras are free to choose how they spend their time. They may investigate your enrichment, approach the group or prefer to relax at a distance. Your keeper will help you discover more about them whichever they choose!
Animal welfare comes first, so we will never encourage interaction at the expense of our animals’ comfort. The full programme of keeper activities, including the short lemur visit, forms part of your experience whether or not the capybaras approach. Any animal interaction takes place on their terms and at the keeper’s discretion.
Participants must be able bodied and 8 years or older.
Experiences are taken in groups of 4.
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