Escaped capybara talk of the village as hunt goes on

An escaped capybara has become the "talk of the village" as the search intensifies.

Nine-month-old Samba has been on the run since Tuesday after slipping through a small gap in a temporary enclosure at Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, shortly after arriving from Suffolk.

Nearby residents have been checking gardens, ponds, pools and outbuildings after reported sightings of the animal.

Drones have also been used in the search, with the zoo saying it has two on standby to be deployed once the search area is narrowed.

Laura Read, chief executive of Marwell Wildlife, said teams were working "around the clock" to find Samba.

Tango, another nine-month-old capybara, escaped at the same time but was found nearby - and the hope is that Samba will still be discovered around the zoo.

"We do think she probably is still quite close by," said Read. "We're not ruling out the fact she may have come back."

She said the animal was not at risk from predators but urged drivers in the area to take care, particularly at night.

She added: "What she'll probably do is find somewhere she feels safe and secure, potentially by a water body, and hunker down."

The University of Southampton said it is supporting the search using drone technology as part of an ongoing project with the zoo to help monitor animals from the air.

Nicky Scott said she spotted the capybara while waiting for a quiz night at The Ship Inn in Owslebury.

She said: "There was a bang on the window and one of my team pointed at a capybara sitting in the road.

"I ran out and followed it down the lane until it disappeared into a hedgerow.

"It was very sweet but it shouldn't be out."

She said keepers arrived shortly afterwards with a "heat-seeking drone" but were unable to locate Samba.

Leo Todd, chairman of pub's petanque club, said the escape had gripped the area.

"It's definitely the talk of the village. Everybody is abuzz about it," he said.

"It's a funny story but it's also a bit of a sad one as well. This poor little animal has got lost, so of course we'd like to see it found."

The zoo said capybaras do not pose a risk to people, pets or wildlife, but has urged the public not to approach Samba and to report any sightings.