Overview

• Secretary Daniel Scioli and Subsecretary Fernando Brom unveiled a study-phase proposal to translocate more than 3,000 capybaras from northern Buenos Aires to islands in San Fernando or Tigre as wildlife sanctuaries.
• The ministry has invited families familiar with the species to monitor relocated animals with their consent before any pilot relocation begins.
• Unverified data suggest the population of capybaras in the region has surged past 3,000, leading to reported traffic accidents, bites, disease concerns and attacks on pets.
• Critics include Tigre political figure Malena Galmarini, who accused Scioli of “selling smoke,” and Conicet researcher Rubén Quintana, who warned the plan overlooks key ecological and jurisdictional factors.
• A separate case in Goya, Corrientes saw a man arrested for attempting to sell a baby capybara on social media, underscoring enforcement challenges in wildlife protection.