Missing Hampshire zoo capybara captured on camera
Samba disappeared more than seven months ago
Last updated 19 hours ago
New pictures have emerged of Samba, a capybara who's been missing in Hampshire for more than seven months.
Samba, a one-year-old capybara, escaped from Marwell Zoo near Winchester in March, shortly after her arrival.
She's been on the run since.
To aid her recovery, Marwell Wildlife staff have set up wildlife cameras and established a feeding area to encourage her return.
The zoo emphasised that recovering Samba is a careful process and have withheld the exact location of the captured images to avoid scaring her off.
A Marwell Zoo spokesperson said:
"Since confirming that we had new photographic evidence of Samba’s whereabouts in August, our team has continued working tirelessly to bring her safely back to Marwell Zoo.
"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. It’s vital that we keep any stress to an absolute minimum, as frightening or disturbing her could cause her to move away from the area and make her safe recovery more difficult.
"Over recent weeks, we have installed additional wildlife cameras, which have provided further photographic evidence of Samba.
"We have also been establishing a feeding area, encouraging her to become familiar with the location and return regularly. This is an important step in our plans to safely recover her.
"As Samba is currently on private land, and to avoid disturbing her or disrupting our ongoing efforts, we are keeping details of her exact location confidential.
"We know many of you are keen to hear how Samba is doing, and we’re grateful for your continued interest and support. Our team remains focused on bringing her home safely, and we’ll share further news when there is a significant update."