"15 minutes and costs 100 rubles." Belarusians argue about the price of a meeting with a capybara in an animal park near Baranavichy
The story of a paid encounter with a capybara at the "Animal Park" near Baranavichy sparked discussion on Threads. A visitor stated that the opportunity to interact with the animal for 15 minutes costs an additional 100 rubles on top of the entrance tickets, and questioned whether such a price was justified. A debate unfolded in the comments — some consider the service expensive, while others are confident that it is normal practice and the money goes towards the upkeep of the animals, writes BG.Media.
Capybara in the animal park near Baranavichy. Photo from Threads
The visitor told about the paid service — and received hundreds of comments about how much a meeting with the animal should cost.
A Belarusian woman was surprised that a "date" with a capybara costs 100 rubles
A Belarusian woman came to the "Animal Park" (known as "Dipriz") in Baranavichy district with her children to see capybaras, but encountered an additional paid service — a "capybara meeting".
According to the woman, entrance tickets for one adult and two children cost 105 rubles, and another 15 rubles went to animal feed. But, as she claims, the main disappointment awaited further: for the opportunity to interact more closely with the capybara — to pet it and take photos — one had to pay an additional 100 rubles for 15 minutes.
"I didn't expect this. In my opinion, it's not worth it. What do you think?" she wrote on Threads.
The post garnered over 100,000 views and about 300 comments in two days.
The "Animal Park" itself, located in the Baranavichy district, also responded in the comments. The administration explained that the capybara is in a regular enclosure in the first section of the park and is accessible to all visitors:
"The capybara lives in an enclosure in the first section of the Park. If you visited us recently, you might have noticed a large colorful capybara near its enclosure. There are no empty enclosures on the Park's territory: if an animal is indicated on an enclosure, it means it lives there. Our residents sometimes simply relax in their house or choose the coziest corner for sleep."
Separately, the park clarified that the paid service "Meeting with a capybara" is a format of personal contact with a specific animal named Kapi:
"She really loves people, attention and, of course, a tasty meal."
"Expensive or normal?" — opinions of Belarusians divided
A discussion unfolded in the comments to the story: some consider the price to be inflated, others — justified from the point of view of animal care and demand for the service.
"Expensive. But imagine if the service cost 20 rubles — how exhausted would the animal be in a day from such meetings. Better 5 meetings for 100 than 25 for 20," wrote one user.
"This money goes towards the maintenance of the animals. The park truly spends it specifically on the animals. The animals are clean, well-cared for, and I don't regret a single kopeck," another visitor noted.
Some commentators said that the service is in demand and requires booking several weeks in advance.
"We were at a meeting with Kapi. It's worth its money," one user briefly wrote.
However, there was also criticism:
"We didn't like this park, all the animals were monotonous, the prices were exorbitant. There are more pleasant parks and zoos to visit."
Others noted that the capybara can be seen for free by simply visiting the appropriate zone, and the paid service is just an extended interaction format.