Samba the Capybara: Public Joins Wild Search

A nine-month-old capybara, Samba, escaped her temporary enclosure at Marwell Zoo near Winchester shortly after her arrival on March 16th. She was transferred from Jimmy's farm and wildlife park in Suffolk with her sister, Tango, who was quickly found. Samba, however, remains at large, prompting a widespread search effort.

Specialist dog units and thermal drones have been deployed in the search for Samba, who has reportedly been sighted in a pub beer garden and basking on a riverbank. Capybaras, native to South America, are fast, excellent swimmers, and well-adapted to evading capture.

The primary concern for Marwell Zoo is not Samba's safety due to lack of natural predators in the UK, but rather her reunion with her sister. Samba was last seen by locals swimming in the River Itchen. The zoo has expressed its focus on safely retrieving Samba and reuniting the two sisters.