Found at last! Cinnamon the fugitive capybara who ‘captured the hearts’ of animal lovers around the world is discovered after a week on the run in a VERY peculiar place

A giant rodent that escaped from a zoo was captured today after a week on the run.

Cinnamon the capybara escaped through an open gate in her enclosure at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World into the adjacent forest.

The one-year-old was found this afternoon in a pond near the zoo in Telford, Shropshire. A search team spent an hour pulling her from the water and putting her in a cage.

Cinnamon escaped last Friday when keepers entered the capybara enclosure to mow the paddock and was hiding in the tall grass near the gate, Mr Dorrell said.

Capybaras are native to South America and are the largest rodents in the world. They are semi-aquatic and adults can grow up to 4.4 feet long, up to 24 inches tall and weigh between five and 10 stones.

A baby Cinnamon and Churro pictured at the zoo with their mother

Zookeepers worked through the night to find the animal after she was spotted by a thermal drone just 200 metres from her enclosure on Tuesday.

When the gate opened, she slipped around the side of a tractor to exit the enclosure.

She was spotted in a field next to the zoo on Tuesday evening, but retreated into impenetrable bushes when zoo staff approached.

The capybara’s recovery was then halted until yesterday so that the animal would not experience too much stress.

“We are thrilled to have Cinnamon back at the zoo,” said owner Will Dorrell.

“I know there will be a lot of people who are going to be very excited to see her, but none will be more excited than her own mother and father,” he said.

“We are stunned by the public response to Cinnamon’s escape and are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped return her safely to the zoo.”

Cinnamon was returned to an enclosure with her twin brother Churro. The zoo said she was still adjusting to life at the zoo.

The staff said they will keep an eye on her all weekend so she can return to the capybara pasture next week.

Zoo owner Will Dorrell previously told the BBC that Cinnamon was “probably living her best life” in the marshland and rivers opposite the zoo, areas that were a natural habitat for the animal and were not at risk from predators.

The rodent weighs 30 kilos and is as big as a large spaniel.

Drone footage captured Cinnamon fleeing the zoo

A young Cinnamon pictured at Hoo Zoo, where she lives with her parents and brother

Cinnamon, pictured with her brother Churro, fled her habitat at Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World in Telford on Friday

Capybaras can hold their breath for up to five minutes and reach speeds of up to 20 mph (32 km/h).

Capybaras are the largest rodent species in the world and resemble giant guinea pigs.

They live in savannahs and dense forests near water. They are a social species, usually found in groups of a dozen or so, and sometimes up to 100.