Former employees of the cafe with capybaras told about animal cruelty

Former employees of the capybara cafe reported inappropriate animal conditions and injuries. On August 8, one of the ex-employees of the institutions, Polina, shared this in an interview with Izvestia.

According to the girl, one of the young capybaras was locked in a cage for two weeks after the animal began to demonstrate "incorrect" behavior when in contact with visitors. The ex-employee attributes the incident to the stress that capybara was experiencing.

She also told about another animal that was injured while trying to get out of the enclosure: a capybara dislocated its jaw and pulled out its teeth. According to the former employee, injuries to animals in such establishments occurred regularly.

In addition, in some cafes, animals are not provided with the necessary conditions of detention and full-fledged veterinary care.

Another former employee told Polina about possible cases of capybaras being illegally imported into Russia. According to her, the animals were allegedly transported across the border in suitcases. Polina urged visitors and concerned citizens to contact the relevant authorities with a request to conduct an inspection. According to her, some subscribers have already prepared statements.

In September 2025, 89% of Russians expressed a negative attitude towards contact zoos. Veterinarians claim that being constantly indoors in a confined space harms animals, and they are under chronic stress from constant noise. At the same time, in St. Petersburg, the Rosselkhoznadzor refused an anti-cafe with capybaras to obtain a license to use animals for cultural and entertainment purposes. The inspectors revealed a number of violations, including the use of feed without certificates, the absence of a separate area for keeping animals suspected of being ill or suffering from infectious diseases.