*Due to popular demand our meet the capybara experience is fully booked for 2025. Please keep an eye on our social media and website for information regarding future dates.
A unique and interactive encounter that brings you face-to-face with our charming Capybara family. Perfect for animal lovers, this experience promises to be a highlight of your visit to the zoo. Enjoy the unique opportunity to get up close to the capybaras, feeding and scratching them under the supervision of the zookeeper. Don’t forget to bring your camera! Capture your memorable moments with the capybaras, whether it’s a selfie or a video of you feeding these friendly giants.
The keeper will escort you to the capybara habitat for your health and a safety briefing. You’ll learn from one of our experienced zookeepers how to approach and feed the capybaras using a few tasty snacks. You’ll also be able to ask questions and hear all about how this amazing animal.
Our keeper will be on hand to guide you through this amazing animal experience with our family of Capybara. This is a real opportunity to get up close and personal with these viral sensations, as you feed them and give them a good scratch. Don’t forget your camera as there will be opportunities for your keeper to take some shots and videos of you interacting with the capybaras before leaving the habitat.
Our Gift Vouchers can be redeemed across all of our experiences, including our Meet The Capybara package! Perfect as a gift for friends or family.
Day tickets are not included with this experience and must be purchased separately.
So you can spend the whole day to explore all of our facilities we have to offer around your experience if you wish.
You can bring guests who pay normal admission prices online in advance but cannot participate in the experience.
Please read through our terms and conditions below regarding our experiences before booking.
Day tickets are not included with this experience and must be purchased separately.
Our feed the capybaras package is perfect for children and a great way to create a memory they won't forget. The minimum age for this experience is 8 (Participants under the age of 16 years must be accompanied on site by a paying adult).
Our feed the capybara experience package is the perfect choice for an individual or as a group of 2. Share the fun and bring a friend!
You can feed capybaras at Hertfordshire Zoo through their Meet the Capybaras experience. This 30-minute session allows you to step into the capybara habitat, hand-feed them, and even give them scratches under the guidance of a zookeeper. The experience runs five days a week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and is open to participants aged 8 and over. Children under 10 must be accompanied into the habitat by an adult, and anyone under 16 must have an adult onsite with a valid zoo day ticket. The cost is £99 for up to two people, with general admission tickets sold separately. As the experience takes place outdoors in a grassy enclosure, it may not be wheelchair accessible
Capybaras are native to South and Central America, they live around rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes, and are adapted to semi-aquatic environments. At Hertfordshire Zoo, their capybaras follow the same background: the zoo keeps them in a habitat that reflects where they come from, and their lifestyle is adapted accordingly. For example, they are often seen grazing on grasses and aquatic plants, socialising in groups, and resting in water where available, behaviours that are natural for their species.
Yes, capybaras are generally considered friendly and gentle animals. In the wild, they are highly social and live in groups, which makes them tolerant of others. At Hertfordshire Zoo, visitors can see this first-hand during the Meet the Capybaras experience, where these animals often enjoy being hand-fed and even scratched under the guidance of a keeper. Their calm nature and relaxed temperament make them approachable, though they are still wild animals, so all interactions at the zoo are supervised to ensure both guest and animal safety.
Yes, there are capybaras in the UK, and you can see them at Hertfordshire Zoo. We are home to a capybara family that visitors can meet up close through our Meet the Capybaras experience, which even allows you to hand-feed and interact with them under keeper supervision. While capybaras are native to South America, several zoos and wildlife parks across the UK, including Hertfordshire Zoo, provide habitats that replicate their natural, semi-aquatic environments so guests can learn about and enjoy these gentle animals.
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