Primary school pupils join search for runaway capybara

Children have been writing poems and making artwork to encourage Samba to come home, as they join the ongoing search for the runaway capybara.

Samba escaped from Marwell Zoo near Winchester, with her sister Tango.

Tango was quickly found by zoo keepers, but Samba was "more adventurous" and has been on the run in the nearby area ever since.

She has since been spotted several times in surrounding villages.

Some pupils at Twyford Primary School have been heading to areas near the River Itchen with their families to find her.

Head teacher Neil Tunnicliffe said the story had "really captured the imagination" of the children.

they've been drawing pictures and one pupil, nine-year-old Rupert, has even written a poem about the escape, which included the lines: "[Samba] was seen by the Itchen, eating a chocolate bar. Someone said she'd been in their kitchen, trying to play the guitar."

On Sunday 22 March, Samba was spotted by a lady walking her dogs by the side of the River Itchen, before she became spooked and jumped into the water and swam off.

Zoo teams are continuing to search the area and have urged the public not to approach the animal.

They are asking for sightings to be reported with photos or video.

Capybaras are the largest species of rodent in the world, and can grow up to around 1.3 metres in length and weigh over 60 kilogrammes.

The rodent family includes more than 2,000 species like rats, mice and guinea pigs - which the capybara is closely related to.

There are two species of capybara – the greater capybara and the lesser capybara, and they can be found in the wetlands of South America living in the wild.

Capybaras are semi-aquatic mammals, which means they are well adapted to spend lots of time in water.

They have partially webbed feet and their eyes, noses and ears are located high on their heads so that they stay above water whilst swimming.

They can also hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes.

Like other rodents, a capybara's front teeth don't stop growing, so they have to wear them down by chewing on things like bark, tough grasses and aquatic plants.

They also have a bit of a gross habit - they eat their own poo!

The plants they eat as part of their diet are hard to break down, so by eating their own poo, they have a second chance of getting all the nutrients from them.