Samba the capybara flew the nest earlier this year after she arrived at Marwell Zoo in Winchester alongside Tango, and has now spent six months on the run from staff12:21, 04 Sep 2026A zoo has confirmed that one of its beloved capybaras has been spotted roaming around the British countryside, months after it made a daring escape.‌Marwell Zoo in Winchester, Hampshire, announced earlier this year that two of its capybara, Samba and Tango, sprung captivity on March 16 as their habitats were being completed. One half of the duo, Tango, was quickly retrieved by zoo workers, but Samba has evaded zoo employees for several months.‌Marwell confirmed today that it has verified a sighting of the elusive capybara as part of its public efforts to retrieve the oversized rodent.‌The zoo confirmed on August 11 that it had received a "promising lead" for Samba after a photo was sent in to the search team. However at the time it did not confirm whether the lead was the animal itself, not doing so until Thursday.The Hampshire Chronicle reports that the zoo has since confirmed it was Samba who was seen that day, meaning teams were given a critical update.‌The photo meant that Samba, who arrived alongside Tango from Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park earlier this year, is still alive. The zoo said in a statement: "Yes - the sighting was Samba but we haven’t got any further updates to share at the moment."The update also means that Samba, despite being native to South America, has been able to live in the British climate.Members of the public have been reporting possible sightings of Samba since she was reported missing earlier this year. In May, the zoo said it had received "several possible sightings from members of the public", and while they were "incredibly thankful", have been unable to confirm a location for the mammal.‌A spokesperson at the time released a statement detailing the efforts zoo staff were going through to retrieve the animal, and gave the public tips on keeping an eye out for Samba.The spokesperson said: "We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has taken the time to contact us and share information. While each report has been carefully investigated, we have not yet been able to confirm her location. Our teams continue to carry out regular searches, focusing on areas where Samba is most likely to be, particularly along waterways and in dense vegetation.Article continues below"We are still deploying thermal drone technology and camera traps to support this work." People who believe they may have seen the animal have been asked to get in touch with the zoo.Any sightings, Marwell said, should be documented by photo and sent to the number 07436 167401. Sighting photos should be submitted with the What3Words or Google Maps location. In the meantime, Tango has a new partner, Ripple, who is living in the private habitat.