Marwell Zoo reports several sightings as Samba Capybara Escaped Marwell
Marwell Zoo said there have been several credible recent sightings of samba capybara escaped marwell near Brambridge, about three miles from the zoo. The 11-month-old capybara has been on the run since 17 March, and the new reports are the closest lead the search has had in recent days.
Brambridge sightings
The latest reports place Samba around Brambridge, near Winchester, where Marwell Zoo said the search area has now narrowed significantly. The zoo said more than 20 members of its team are carrying out ground searches and deploying additional camera traps in dense vegetation, looking for footprints, droppings and other direct signs of Samba's presence.
Marwell Zoo said, “several credible sightings” have come in recently, and it added: “The recent sightings have helped us significantly narrow down the search area and we remain hopeful.” The zoo also said, “Samba's welfare remains our absolute priority, and we are continuing to use every appropriate tool available to help us locate her and bring her safely back to Marwell.”
Colden Common and the river
The last sighting identified as Samba was in the Colden Common area on 22 March. Five days after her escape, Samba was seen resting in the sunshine beside a river near the zoo, then jumping into the water and swimming off after a dog walker captured phone footage of the animal.
That earlier sighting gave search teams a wider area to cover, but the Brambridge reports now point them back toward a more specific stretch of ground about three miles, or 5km, from Marwell Zoo. Marwell Wildlife thanked the local community for continuing to report sightings, a stream of tips that has kept the search active nearly three months after Samba escaped.
Marwell Wildlife search
Marwell Wildlife said teams are checking the area for tracks and droppings because the vegetation is quite dense there. The zoo said the biggest risk to Samba is traffic, and it asked anyone who believes they may have seen her to take a photo and contact the zoo using the methods listed on its website.
Samba arrived at Marwell Zoo with her sister Tango on 16 March after being transferred from Suffolk, and both capybaras escaped the following day. Tango was found close to the pair's temporary enclosure and was swiftly retrieved; Marwell Wildlife said Tango “has been enjoying the warmer weather, often seen relaxing in the sun and napping in her hay” while she remains in her private habitat as work continues on her new home at the zoo.
