Samba the runaway capybara spotted thriving months after escape

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 01:20 · Archive

Samba, a capybara who escaped Marwell Zoo in March, has been spotted on camera months later and appears to be thriving.

Samba, a six-year-old capybara, has been spotted on a trap camera at Marwell Zoo months after escaping in March. The footage shows her eating treats left by staff, who are attempting to lure her back to her enclosure as winter closes in.

Zoo staff are taking a cautious approach to recovery. A spokesman said: 'Recovering Samba is a gradual and carefully managed process. Although we know the area she is in, it isn't simply a case of being able to approach and collect her.' The team has established a feeding area to encourage her to return regularly, an important step in their plans for her safe recovery.

Staff emphasised that minimising stress is vital, as frightening or disturbing her could cause her to move away and make recovery more difficult. Samba was last spotted seven months earlier by a dogwalker on the banks of the River Itchen, when a labrador's barking startled her. Because she is currently on private land, the zoo has kept details of her exact location confidential to avoid disrupting their recovery efforts.

How it is being reported

• Samba the missing Capybara who escaped her enclosure in March is spotted for the first time in monthsSamba the capybara is alive and well - and still on the run - more than six months after escaping from Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, her keepers have revealed.Daily Mail · 28 Oct, 01:09
• Samba the runaway Capybara caught on camera after months on the lamSamba is thriving on scraps left for her by zookeepers trying not to spook herMetro · 27 Oct, 22:41

In this story: Samba · Marwell Zoo · Hampshire · River Itchen

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