New St. Pete Cafe Lets You Hang With Capybaras

A brand new animal experience, Capybara Café, will open its doors at 4703 Park Street N. in St. Pete on July 11. Visitors can hang out with the world's biggest rodents in half-hour sessions.

This cool spot joins the growing trend of animal encounters popping up around the country. Regular visits cost $49, while special 90-minute sessions go for $99 and let you feed the animals with expert help.

Guests get a quick but important safety talk before meeting the animals. Staff show everyone how to properly interact while visitors hand out treats like fresh hay, greens, apples, and oranges.

The place has special areas built for different animals. One space is home to the huge capybaras, while another houses energetic lemurs. At night, the place comes alive with night-loving animals - from tiny fennec foxes to waddling armadillos, playful coatis, jumping wallabies, and even skunks.

Stephanie Angel runs both Florida locations. She also manages Noah's Ark Sanctuary, which provides the animals and gets all the café's earnings.

The first spot in St. Augustine took off quickly last October. With bookings full months ahead, they decided to open this second location.

While visiting, people can grab coffee, water, or snack on cookies. Anyone wanting to get cozy can wrap themselves in blankets while spending time with the animals.

The timing couldn't be better with capybaras being super popular right now. These gentle giants are all over social media, making people want everything from stuffed animals to bath stuff.

You can book your visit through their website, but if you can't wait, check out the temporary capybara display at Clearwater Marine Aquarium through July 20.