Runaway capybara Samba spotted on camera

After being on the run for more than six months, Samba the capybara has been spotted on camera.

She escaped from Marwell Zoo in Hampshire back in March.

Much like her, the story of her escape has travelled far and wide as efforts to return her to the zoo have failed.

But now fresh images of Samba out the in wild have helped narrow the search for her.

Originally from South America, capybaras are the world's largest rodents, with stocky bodies, short legs and partially webbed feet.

Samba arrived at Marwell Zoo alongside her sister, Tango, on 16 March 2026. However the giant rodents managed to escaped from their temporary holding area after just one day.

Keepers managed to catch Tango and take her safely back to the zoo, but Samba has been on the run ever since.

In the months since her escape, Samba has been reported at several locations, including near a pub and sunning herself on a riverbank.

Wildlife cameras were set up after Samba was first spotted in August, hoping she'd come back to the same spots.

The zoo says that the team have been working "tirelessly to bring her safely back".

Experts there say the process of bringing her back is a "carefully managed process" and although they know the area she is in, it's not as simple as "being able to approach and collect her".

In a statement the zoo said: "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."

Staff at the zoo have established a feeding area, encouraging Samba to become familiar with the location and return regularly.

"This is an important step in our plans to safely recover her," the zoo explained.