A runaway capybara that has thwarted Marwell zookeepers' efforts to locate her has been spotted by a dog walker by the River Itchen.
Samba, a nine-month-old capybara, vanished on Tuesday after escaping a temporary enclosure at the zoo near Winchester just a day after arriving.
While her sister Tango was quickly recovered, Samba has remained at large.
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On Sunday, March 22, the zoo said it had received video footage placing her in a waterway between Twyford and Brambridge Garden Centre.
Dog walker Claudie Paddick, who shared her footage with the Daily Echo, spotted Samba but her dog spooked the animal, which went into the Itchen and swam off.
Marwell Zoo's runaway capybara Samba has been spotted in Twyford, near Winchester
More: https://t.co/lzjnEqjIsy pic.twitter.com/8A9luM3SwW— Daily Echo (@dailyecho) March 22, 2026
Teams were immediately deployed to the area, searching on foot, by vehicle and using thermal drones.
A specialist sniffer dog unit has also been tracking her scent.
Marwell Zoo has urged the public not to approach Samba but to report sightings with photos and precise locations. A review into how the escape happened is under way.
