Attack of the giant rodents or class war? Argentina's rich riled by new neighbors

[marmar]

Attack of the giant rodents or class war? Argentina’s rich riled by new neighbors
Hordes of capybaras have taken up residence at a gated community, sparking a debate on the environment and inequality

Uki Goñi in Buenos Aires
Sun 22 Aug 2021 05.00 EDT


(Guardian UK) Nordelta is Argentina’s most well-known gated community: an enclave of spacious homes for the rich amid a dreamy landscape of lakes and streams north of Buenos Aires.

But environmentalists question its very existence because it is built on the wetlands of the Paraná, the second most important river in South America after the Amazon.

Now, however, nature is fighting back against Nordelta’s well-heeled residents.

In recent weeks, the community has been invaded by capybaras, who have destroyed manicured lawns, bitten dogs and caused traffic accidents.

“They not only destroy gardens but their excrement has also become a problem,” one local man told the daily La Nación, complaining that local wildlife officials had prohibited residents from touching the large rodents. ............(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/22/argentina-capybaras-giant-rodents-gated-community

[CottonBear]

1. I'm on team capybara.

I’ve seen a small group of these giant rodents at the Chattanooga Zoo. They’re like gigantic Guinea Pigs! (I think they’re actually related.) Capybaras are very cute animals and live in social groups.

[malaise]

3. Same here

Go capybara!

[CottonBear]

6. A while ago, a DUer posted that her daughter saw Capybaras invade a hotel pool...

...somewhere in South America, maybe Argentina if I recall the story correctly.

Apparently, the Capybaras came out of the surrounding natural areas and jumped in the pool to swim causing the swimming guests to panic and flee the pool area!

🤣

[malaise]

7. let's call it what it is

Invading the invaders

[MineralMan]

2. I Love Capybaras!

Always have, since I petted one in the Children's Zoo at the San Diego Zoo as a teenager. It came over to me and I scratched the back of its head, since pretty much all mammals love that. It grunted peacefully, and bumped my hand with its head if I stopped.

[CottonBear]

4. Awww! What an awesome capybara encounter!

They are just so darn cute!

[MineralMan]

5. That was the first time I ever saw one. Cute critters.

[MuseRider]

8. We always consider ourselves

as Top Dog, the creatures with a big brain. Well, our big brains have forgotten more than the other creatures on the planet. We search to change everything to our liking no matter what the cost of anything around. They have learned to live well with what is there.

I too am on team Capybara. We had a few at the zoo when I worked there. They were quite nice. One was always figuring a way out of their captivity (they had a really nice place but they are smart and curious) but they were let out frequently when we had time to control the area.

[LeftInTX]

9. Betcha some people were feeding them...

BTW: I just read that Berlin has a wild boar problem...

Wild boars scare the bejeezus out of me.
Feral hogs are freak'n dangerous...]Fortunately in the US, they are an invasive specie and are not protected.
However, wild boars are native to Germany.

I would rather have a capybara problem than a feral hog problem.