The environmental causes behind the capybaras in Nordelta
The Nordelta wetlands were destroyed to build the gated community complex. With the pandemic and lockdowns, capybaras began roaming the streets.
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This week, residents of the Nordelta gated community in Tigre (Buenos Aires province) reported an "invasion" of capybaras in the gated communities. The photos and complaints quickly spread, and social media was flooded with memes. But behind these complaints and jokes, little has been said about the causes of this proliferation, which is far from unusual.
Both the capybara and the coypu are native animals that thrive in semi-aquatic environments, such as wetlands. Nordelta is located on a wetland that was almost entirely cleared for urbanization in the 1990s. “This is one of the problems that reflects the urgent need for the Wetlands Law to be passed,” biologist María José Corriale, PhD in Biological Sciences and specialist in the relationship between habitat and wildlife, told Presentes.
“There is practically nothing left of the wetland. In recent years, the area that was not yet developed was completely cleared for the construction of new neighborhoods,” Corriale adds.
The wetland that existed before the construction of the housing developments was the natural habitat of the capybara, as well as the coypu. When these environments are so drastically altered, two things can happen: the species either become locally extinct or they adapt and try to survive somehow, as is the case with the coypu and the capybara.
The pandemic freed the capybaras
“Nordelta expanded into areas that were not yet developed, causing animals that lived in those areas to move into the urban development in search of new places to settle. That's how the capybaras 'arrived' in Nordelta,” he explains.
One phenomenon that stimulated the frequent presence of capybaras in urban areas was the pandemic. “Since we were in isolation and there was much less movement on the streets, the capybara was more active, accessing places, and so they could be seen closer to houses, or in places where they hadn't been before,” says Corriale.
Are capybaras dangerous?
Capybaras are the largest and heaviest rodents in the world. Their scientific name is Hydrochoerus hydrochaeri, but they are also known as chigüire or chigüiro. They are native to South America and, being semi-aquatic, inhabit aquatic environments or wetlands. They are herbivores, feeding mainly on grass, and are not aggressive—in fact, they tend to be prey rather than predators—unless they feel threatened or perceive a threat to their young.
Regarding the dangers that capybaras can pose to human activity, Corriale explains that the greatest of these are the road accidents that can occur, so he recommends reducing the speed of vehicles during the times of greatest capybara activity: although they are nocturnal, they are very mobile at dusk.
Furthermore, while they may attack other animals if they feel threatened, they can also be attacked by animals such as dogs roaming freely in the street and suffer injuries.
On the other hand, regarding the news that circulated about people shooting at the animal, Corriale maintains that " the legislation in Buenos Aires is clear: hunting the species is prohibited, especially in urban areas."
Wetlands law, now
The abundance of photos of capybaras in homes and their rapid circulation through news portals and social networks took place in the same week that on Wednesday, August 18, there was a massive march - more than 390 socio-environmental organizations - in front of the National Congress to demand the treatment of the Wetlands Law and that it not lose its legislative status.
“The conservation of these diverse ecosystems is vital because they fulfill numerous functions, in addition to harboring native fauna and boasting high biodiversity. Wetlands regulate excess water, prevent flooding, and perform countless other functions. This modification of environments for urban development means that these wetlands no longer fulfill their functions, and the surrounding areas are likely to suffer far more flooding. I believe that if we had a law protecting wetlands, these things wouldn't happen, or at least they wouldn't have happened,” Corriale concludes.
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