With their chill demeanours and cute appearances, capybaras have become wildly popular on both Chinese and global social media platforms – often depicted in memes and other online content on apps like TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Instagram.
In countries like Thailand, Japan and China, cafes dedicated to capybaras have also become popular – offering capybara-themed food and products as well as chances for diners to interact with the giant rodents for a fee.
Doubao, Bazong and Duoduo escaped their enclosure in the early hours of Apr 3, by smashing against its wooden windows with their bodies, the zoo said.
Bazong and Duoduo have since been recaptured.
Duoduo was found inside one of the park’s canals on Apr 30 and had lost nearly 2kg, keepers said, adding that it “played hide and seek”, thanks to its diving and swimming skills.
“We were all so distressed,” they added.
The capybara enclosure has been reinforced with protective nets following the trio’s escape, the zoo said.
In a report on Sunday, Chinese state broadcaster CGTN said zookeepers had discovered capybara droppings in a nearby village, suggesting that an animal was in the area.
In the comments section of its Xiaohongshu account, the zoo said it looked forward to “Doubao coming home”.
“Hopefully Doubao is safe, and let there be no accidents,” one user on Xiaohongshu wrote.