Capybaras conquer posh suburb

Residents of an upscale suburb in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, are dealing with a disturbance. The world's largest rodent is suddenly taking over the Nordelta district in large numbers.

The animals, about the size of a dog, may be cute but they certainly don't belong in these residential premises and thus cause a nuisance. These capybaras cause traffic accidents, gnaw their way through gardens, and have even attacked dogs in the neighbourhood on several occasions.

A male capybara weighs on average 50 kilograms, so they are certainly not small creatures that neighbourhood residents suddenly encounter in large numbers in their gardens and streets. They made the district their habitat during the coronavirus pandemic, and now they don't want to leave. The authorities have launched a sterilisation campaign in which the animals are sedated with a dart and then sterilised so that the population can no longer grow. But this is not easy since each animal needs to receive two injections, with several months in between, and the sterilisation only lasts for a few months. So the population keeps growing. There are now over 1,000 capybaras residing in this chic residential area. A real solution does not seem to be in sight...

(FVDV - Source: The New York Times - Illustration: ©Unsplash)