Gentry Hale tells PEOPLE that unexpected wildlife encounters are simply part of life in Guyana’s remote Rupununi Savannah
Credit: Gentry Hale
NEED TO KNOW
- Travel journalist Gentry Hale found a capybara inside her hotel room after stepping out of the shower
- She was staying at an eco-ranch in Guyana where wild animals frequently roam freely
- The encounter became one of many unforgettable wildlife moments during her trip
Most people expect a towel and maybe room service after a shower, not a wild animal waiting patiently inside their room. But for Gentry Hale, that exact moment turned into an unforgettable encounter when she came face-to-face with a capybara casually roaming her space in Guyana.
“I just got out of the shower, and there's a capybara in my room. Hi, baby. What are you doing? This isn't your house,” Hale says in the TikTok, her voice a mix of disbelief and delight as the animal slowly turns and wanders out.
For Hale, a 28-year-old travel journalist from Salt Lake City, Utah, the moment was surprising but not entirely out of place given her surroundings. She had traveled to Guyana to report on wildlife in the Rupununi Savannah, along with local conservation efforts and the country’s growing tourism industry.
@gentrythejournalist Things that ONLY happen in Guyana #capybara #guyana #adventuretravel #therupununi #guyanatiktok
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“I was on a trip to Guyana to learn about the wildlife in the Rupununi Savannah, local conservation efforts and the expansion of tourism in the country,” she tells PEOPLE. “I was staying at Whichabai Ranch when the capybara entered my room.”
Whichabai Ranch, she explains, is a privately owned eco-ranch known for immersive, low-impact travel and close encounters with wildlife. With about six wild capybaras frequently roaming the property, the animals have grown unusually comfortable around humans, with Hale adding that she even got to swim and play with them in the lake.
In a place like this, even the boundaries between indoors and outdoors can blur. “Having one casually walk into your room when you leave the doors open is not uncommon here!” she says.
Hale was well aware that wildlife encounters were part of the experience and part of the draw. Travelers often visit the region hoping to spot animals like giant anteaters, river otters, tapirs and even jaguars.
Credit: Gentry Hale
“That is the reason that many people visit the Rupununi, to see capybaras, giant anteaters, giant river otters, caymans, tapirs, hundreds of bird species and even the occasional jaguar,” she says.
Still, few encounters feel quite as personal as sharing your room with one. In the video, the capybara exits just as calmly as it arrived, bringing the surreal moment to a quiet close.
“At the end of the video, you can see her slowly saunter out of my room,” Hale says. “I don't know how long she was in there, but she turned and left once I was out of the shower.”
The experience became a standout in a trip filled with rare wildlife moments. Hale recalls holding a rescued baby giant anteater and spotting everything from turtles and frogs to birds and insects.
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“I saw tons of exciting wildlife that I had never seen before,” she says, noting that none of those encounters felt quite as up-close as the capybara.
For Hale, the moment captures what makes Guyana so special. She describes it as a place where nature still feels immediate and unfiltered, offering travelers a deeper connection to the environment.
“Traveling in Guyana was unlike any travel experience that I have ever had,” she says. “For travelers who are willing to go a bit off the beaten path, I would highly recommend Guyana as a perfect mixture of adventure, immersion and genuine connection to the environment.”
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