IN BRIEFSamba escaped with her sister Tango in March while being held in a temporary enclosure.Zoo staff have been searching for the capybara for six months, responding to over 150 reported sightings. Samba the capybara has been on the run for six months after escaping a temporary enclosure at Marwell Zoo in the UK. Samba arrived at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire County on March 16 with her sister, Tango. The pair were transferred from Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park in Suffolk. Samba and Tango underwent "routine health checks" while their enclosure was being prepared, Marwell Zoo said in a statement. The following day, while locked in a temporary holding area, the pair attempted a jailbreak. News that makes sense Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you.

Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox. "Samba and Tango had other ideas ... and managed to escape from their new home," the zoo said. Staff "quickly retrieved" Tango on zoo grounds. But nine-month-old Samba was "more adventurous" and has now been missing for six months. The first sighting of Samba came a day after her escape in Owslebury, three kilometres from the zoo. On 22 March, a dog walker spotted Samba lying in the sun on the banks of the River Itchen in the Colden Common area.

Startled by the dog walker, Samba scurried down the banks and jumped into the river, making her escape by water. She was spotted by the river the very next day. Search efforts increased around the river, but the capybara's excellent camouflage secured her freedom. Camera traps were placed in various locations where Samba had been spotted, including Twyford, North Twyford, Highbridge and Bambridge Gardens. Rescue teams also conducted daily ground searches and thermal drone imaging searches — teams responded to 150 reported sightings. Zoo insists new male not replacing Samba On 7 July, Marwell Zoo introduced a new capybara. Seven-year-old male Ripple was transferred from Blackpool Zoo and gradually introduced to the enclosure with Tango. "His move is first and foremost about ensuring Tango's continued welfare by providing her with appropriate companionship," Marwell Zoo said. The introduction of the new capybara raised concerns for Samba's future, but the zoo ensured she was not being replaced. Ripple, a seven-year-old male capybara, has been introduced to Marwell Zoo as a companion animal for Tango, who was experiencing isolation stress.

Source: Getty / Mark Metcalfe "Welcoming Ripple does not mean we have stopped searching for her," they said. "Our efforts to find Samba continue, and her welfare remains a priority for the team." The last known sighting of Samba was on 11 August, near Bambridge Gardens. Marwell Zoo said its team was "acting on a very promising lead" from photographic evidence of the now year-old capybara. What are capybaras? Native to South America, capybaras are the world's largest living rodent.

They belong to the Caviidae family and are close relatives of the guinea pig and rock cavy. They can live anywhere between four and eight years in the wild, and 12 in captivity. Capybaras are semiaquatic herbivores, meaning they can live across savannas and dense forests and near and in freshwater. They spend most of their time grazing or swimming and are highly social animals, preferring to live in large, close-knit groups of 10 to 40. The average capybara weighs between 35 and 70 kilograms and stands about 60 centimetres tall. Usually a slow and calm rodent, capybaras can have bursts of energy.

They can reach speeds of 35km/hour when startled or threatened. This speed helps them escape predators or, apparently, zookeepers eager to return them to captivity. For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.