The search for Samba, a capybara that escaped from Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, has involved thermal drones, humane traps, and a specialist sniffer dog, according to multiple reports. The first confirmed sighting of Samba was in the village of Owslebury, one day after her escape. According to BBC News - England, Nicky Scott described seeing Samba while waiting for a quiz night at The Ship Inn in Owslebury. Scott said there was a bang on the window and a team member pointed at a capybara sitting in the road. Scott then ran out and followed it down the lane until it disappeared into a hedgerow. According to BBC News - England, Leo Todd, chairman of the pub's petanque club, described the capybara as the talk of the village, saying everybody is abuzz about it.
Samba was later spotted near the River Itchen near Twyford on 22 March by dog walker Claudie Paddick. According to BBC News - England, Paddick described initially thinking it was a deer, noting that one does not casually see a capybara on walks. The search has since focused on the stretch between Twyford and Allbrook along the Itchen Navigation.
There was a bang on the window and one of my team pointed at a capybara sitting in the road.
Marwell's chief executive Laura Read said the area offers ideal conditions for Samba. According to BBC News - England, Read described the environment as calm, quiet, with water and plenty of food. Read also noted that capybaras can run about 20mph (32kmh), swim, and stay underwater for several minutes. Capybaras are the world's largest rodents, are herbivores, and are not considered dangerous to people. They have few natural predators in the UK, according to multiple reports. According to BBC News - England, Read said that if Samba is somewhere not publicly accessible, that means she is safe and away from roads.
Samba arrived at Marwell Zoo on 16 March after being transferred from Suffolk. She escaped the day after her arrival, along with her sister Tango. Tango was quickly found nearby, but Samba remains at large. It is not known exactly where Samba is currently hiding, how long she can survive in the wild in the UK, or how she managed to escape from the zoo.
I ran out and followed it down the lane until it disappeared into a hedgerow.
It's definitely the talk of the village.
Everybody is abuzz about it.
It's calm, it's quiet, it's got the water, it's got plenty of food for her.
If she's somewhere not publicly accessible, that means she's safe and away from roads.