Controversy over decision to sterilize capybara

Buenos Aires (Argentina) city approved contraception and sterilization for capybara, as the number of this species 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 mothers 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, with no predators or hunters, so there is no way to reduce the number of these animals,” said Mr. Canton.

Capybaras are fast-breeding rodents, with females able to give birth twice a year to up to eight babies at a time, local officials said. The city plans to 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 the 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 combined into a nature reserve to protect and create habitat for capybara. However, our proposal has not been considered,” said Ms. Soto.

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

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