(Trinidad Express) The Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago said yesterday that they welcome the recent designation of the capybara as a vermin species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
The designation of the capybara as vermin came with the recent announcement of the opening of this year’s hunting season by the Ministry of Agriculture which is October 1.
Capybaras are semiaquatic mammals found throughout almost all countries of South America except Chile. They live in densely forested areas near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and marshes, as well as flooded savannah and along rivers in the tropical rainforest. It is considered an invasive species, having come across to Trinidad from Venezuela.
Gupte Lutchmedial, President of the Zoological Society said: “This would have been one of the recommendations that I supported in discussions at the Wildlife Conservation Committee of which I am a member for the consideration of the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries”.
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He said that zoo supports this based on seven years of surveillance done on the distribution and activities of the capybara.
He said that they were able to verify that farmers were experiencing losses from the capybara where they were present and this designation as vermin allows control of the animal only on private lands where farmers are being affected but protection on all other lands so that there is balance in accordance with Section 11 of the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
