We were dismayed to learn that a “Capybara cafe” - that is, a cafe which will confine two capybaras on-site with the idea being that cafe-goers can interact with them - is set to open in the UK later this year.

This would be the first cafe in the UK to force capybaras to engage with people in a cafe setting and we are determined to ensure that this cafe doesn’t go ahead and thus prevent a dangerous precedent being set. 

We’ve teamed up with Animal Aid, Born Free, Freedom for Animals and RSPCA to urge the organisers to find an alternative business model that doesn't put the welfare of animals at risk. 

Read our joint letter

What’s wrong with a capybara cafe? 

Forcing these wild, semi-aquatic and highly social animals into a busy and loud cafe, where they will be deprived of their large social groupings, access to large bodies of water, an ability to retreat into safety, and made to constantly interact with people is completely incompatible with their needs and behavioural instincts. 

They are also "crepuscular," meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk and rest during the day. Cafe opening hours would force them to be active when they naturally want to rest, which is stressful. 

Can capybaras thrive in captivity? 

No, capybaras are wild animals that cannot have their needs met in captivity.  

And it's not just capybaras. Wild animals that cannot have their needs met in captivity are suffering in homes across Scotland.  

We, alongside Born Free and Scottish SPCA, are calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a permitted list that includes only species that are suitable to keep as pets, whose needs can be met in a typical home environment.  

Sign the petition