A capybara who became famous after escaping from a zoo is celebrating her third birthday.
Cinnamon lives at Hoo Zoo near Telford, England. Two years ago, she escaped from her enclosure after a gate was accidentally left open.
She remained free for about a week, exploring the area around the zoo before staff finally found her near a pond and brought her home safely.
Her escape quickly became an international story, and Cinnamon even inspired a children’s book.
Now, the zoo is celebrating her third birthday with special activities and treats for visitors.
However, staff joked that Cinnamon may not be very interested in all the attention.
Zoo owner Will Dorrell said capybaras are often calm and independent animals, and Cinnamon sometimes acts like a “diva” by simply turning her back on visitors.
The zoo has prepared special birthday treats for one of its most popular residents.
Cinnamon actually celebrated her first birthday while she was still missing, so staff are hoping there will be no repeat escape this year.
At the time of her disappearance, staff were worried she might wander onto nearby roads or military land.
Although the escape was stressful, Dorrell admitted that Cinnamon’s adventure unexpectedly made her very popular.
Visitors now regularly come to the zoo hoping to see her, and she has become one of its biggest attractions.
To celebrate her birthday, the zoo has also placed fake capybaras around the grounds for visitors to find and plans to hold a special capybara talk.
Staff may even encourage visitors to sing “Happy Birthday” to Cinnamon — whether she pays attention or not.