Hopes raised as Marwell Zoo confirm sighting of missing capybara Samba
Capybara still at large in Hampshire
Five months after escaping from a Hampshire zoo, a missing capybara has been spotted by a member of the public.
Samba, who fled from Marwell Zoo on March 17 when he and his sister Tango were being moved to a temporary enclosure. Despite sightings early on, it has gone quiet recently but there has been some good news shared in the search for the missing rodent.
A member of the public managed to get a picture of an animal in August that they suspected was Samba and sent it to the zoo. A spokesperson for Marwell has now confirmed that the animal captured in the picture was Samba however they “we haven’t got any further updates to share at the moment”.
Having evaded a major search and rescue operation, including specially trained dogs and thermal drones, there is now hope that the animal is alive and well.
News of Samba’s escape made national news and captured the public’s imagination.
Marwell Zoo continues to ask for anyone that thinks they have seen the capybara to take a photo, send it 07436167401 and include the What3Words or Google Maps location.