Controversy over decision to prevent pregnancy and sterilize capybaras

Buenos Aires City (Argentina) approved contraceptive and sterilization measures for capybara, as the number of this species has increased sharply, affecting people's lives.

The Guardian reported on February 16 that residents of Nordelta, a town of about 45,000 people on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, are arguing over how to control the capybara population. In the past three years, the capybara population in Nordelta has tripled to more than 1,000.

Faced with this situation, the Buenos Aires government has approved a plan to control the wildlife population, including the use of contraceptives and selective sterilization, to reduce the number of capybaras.

Baby capybaras with their mother at a zoo in Colombia in 2023

Marcelo Canton, a spokesman for the Nordelta neighborhood association, said that capybaras themselves are not a problem, but their large numbers have led to fights with residents' dogs, damage to flowering plants, and traffic accidents. Although they are naturally docile, capybara mothers can become aggressive if approached.

“There are more than 500 hectares of parkland and lakes for capybara to live in, there are no predators or hunters, so there is no way to reduce the number of this animal,” Mr. Canton said.

Local officials said capybaras are fast-breeding rodents. Females can give birth twice a year, with up to eight babies at a time. Under the plan, the city will inject 250 capybaras with two doses of contraceptives, preventing them from reproducing for a year, and monitor their numbers during that time.

However, Nordelta resident Silvia Soto and a group of neighbors in this town opposed the local government's plan, criticizing real estate developers for ignoring previous proposals to build a reserve.

“For many years, we have requested that the grassy areas be incorporated into a nature reserve that would protect and create habitat for capybara. However, our proposal was not considered,” Ms. Soto said.

Environmentalists are also considering and calling on the Argentine government to take measures to protect the capybara, the world's largest rodent.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tranh-cai-ve-quyet-dinh-tranh-thai-triet-san-loai-capybara-185250216213312147.htm