After more than a month on the lam, a pair of capybaras that escaped Toronto’s High Park Zoo are back home.
The female and male capybaras, which are dog-sized rodents and are fittingly named Bonnie and Clyde, became social media darlings attracting worldwide attention for their time spent on the loose in Canada’s biggest city.
“Home safe and sound, finally resting safely at the zoo,” Friends of the High Park Zoo announced Tuesday. “Welcome home. Yes this is the second capybara. Thank you everyone for your help.”
Thanks to our dedicated Parks staff who never gave up, brought capys home safe and healthy. #CapybaraWatch #TOpoli pic.twitter.com/dKn1vukEvZ
— Toronto PF&R (@TorontoPFR) June 28, 2016
Welcome home @HPcapybara/@TorontoCapybara #2! #CaseClosed #BonnieAndClyde #CapybaraWatch #TOpoli #CityOfTO pic.twitter.com/w662jJKGzF
— Toronto PF&R (@TorontoPFR) June 28, 2016
The capybaras somehow got outside their enclosures back on May 24.
“If you are in the park around the llama end of the zoo please keep your eye open for two capybaras who are out exploring the park,” the zoo said simply at the time. “If spotted please do not approach as they are quite shy but call the park supervisor.”
The disappearance spawned a media frenzy, social media parody accounts and tips flooded in as officials set out traps and food stations to try to scoop up the wayward critters.
“With the Capybaras back in the news we ask people DO NOT APPROACH them,” officials said earlier this month. “We are gaining their trust with feeding stations so people approaching them will jeopardize us catching them.”
The next day, on June 12, success.
“Thrilled to announce that one of the capybaras has been caught. It is resting off site,” the zoo said.
The zoo, which opened in 1893, has grown to 11 paddocks and is home to bison, llamas, peacocks, reindeer, highland cattle, wallabies, emus, sheep and capybaras. More than 600,000 people visit the facility each year – and thousands more watched closely as the capybara chase was on.
well, I don’t know what to say. I’m back in the cage, but Toronto, you haven’t seen the last of me on the streets!
Until next time!— Toronto Capybara (@TorontoCapybara) June 28, 2016
