Capybara cuteness at Lancashire's hidden gem wildlife attraction Wild Discovery zoo

When I visited this little-known petting zoo, I didn’t expect to get so close to the animals.

Giant rodents go viral

I’d seen adorable videos of capybara go viral, but my visit to Wild Discovery was my first time meeting these giant rodents.

I got up close with Larry and Moe and soon discovered why they are known as a 'friend to all animals'.

Capybaras love belly rubs

The nine year old males both love cuddles, belly rubs and wallowing in the mud.

During my trip to the attraction, near Kirkham, I went inside the capybara’s enclosure and fed the brothers under careful supervision of zookeeper, Emily Harrison, who can be seen in the video above.

I fed the capybara

Their snack was a stick of celery. Emily tells me: “They are herbivores so they eat fruit, vegetables and plants but the bulk of their diet is grass.”

I’m surprised by how friendly these adorable animals are. They walk over to me and one of them flips over onto his side, revealing a tummy covered in dry mud. And he looks completely blissed out when I tickle his belly.

Mud-loving capybaras

Emily adds: “They like being scratched and stroked, and they love to wallow in mud too. It’s really good for their skin.”

Watch Larry and Moe in the video above as Emily reveals more about capybaras.

Visit https://wilddiscovery.co.uk/ to find out more, to visit or book an interactive experience.