Animal News March 2026

It’s been a busy and eventful time at Marwell Wildlife, with exciting new arrivals, a special rhino birth, continued conservation work – and an unexpected story that has captured attention far beyond the zoo.

Capybara update: Samba and Tango

As you may have seen across local, national and even global press – and all over your social feeds – we’ve had a rather unexpected turn of events here at Marwell over the past 11 days.

On 16 March, we welcomed two capybara to Marwell. While their new habitat is being completed, and routine health checks were being carried out, they were being cared for in a temporary holding area.

Samba and Tango had other ideas, however, and managed to escape from their new home…

The good news: our fantastic team acted quickly and safely recovered Tango on the same day, who is doing absolutely fine and receiving plenty of care.

Samba, however, had other plans and made her way beyond the zoo perimeter. Since then, she has been spotted near The Ship Inn in Owslebury and more recently along the River Itchen.

Our dedicated teams are working 24/7, following up on every sighting and lead. The River Itchen does provide a suitable habitat for a capybara with plenty of water and vegetation, but it also presents challenges due to difficult terrain and limited access in some areas.

We are doing everything we can to bring Samba home, including deploying a specialist dog unit to track her scent, using thermal drones to identify her amongst the vegetation, and placing camera traps along the waterways where we believe she is.

A big thank you to these external teams for giving us your time and expertise and to the Marwell team who are working around the clock to bring Samba back safely.

A very special arrival: baby rhino born

We’re delighted to share the news of a white rhino calf, born to Zahra and Jabari on Mother’s Day.

The calf is doing incredibly well – they are feeding confidently, active, and staying close to mum as the pair continue to bond. Keepers are monitoring closely while allowing them space during these important early days.

To help visitors share in this special moment, a new TV screen has been installed in the public viewing area.

This important birth forms part of a European breeding programme, helping to safeguard the future of this threatened species.

New arrivals across the zoo

Alongside the rhino calf, we’ve welcomed a number of new species and individuals to Marwell:

• Jemma the sloth, who has joined us from Jersey Zoo. Jemma and Santos are currently in a private habitat while Jemma settles in.
• A white-faced saki monkey baby (watch the video!)
• A group of blue-crowned hanging parrots
• A group of grosbeak starlings
• 2 collared trogons
• Mexican leaf frog tadpoles from Chester Zoo

These arrivals contribute to the diversity of species at Marwell and support vital conservation breeding programmes.

Habitat improvements

Our teams continue to make improvements across the park to support animal wellbeing:

• Installation of misting systems in the golden-headed lion tamarin, Brazilian cavy, pygmy marmoset and siamang gibbon habitats
• Enhancements to basking and branching areas in the red-ruffed lemur habitat
• New bark added in Visayan warty pig house has been a great success, with animals showing a lot of interest.

Eelmoor Marsh

This month, several members of the Hoofstock team have been working at the Site of Special Scientific Interest we manage, Eelmoor Marsh, supporting health checks for the animals.

Supporting sand lizard conservation

We’re pleased to share that Marwell has been accepted into the Big Give campaign, helping to fund vital conservation work.

Monies raised will support sand lizard conservation, including:

• Renovation of our breeding facility
• Development of advanced monitoring and surveillance techniques for long-term population tracking

This work is crucial in helping to secure the future of this native species in the UK.

Stay connected

To stay up to date with all the latest news, adorable arrivals and behind-the-scenes moments, make sure you’re following us on social media.

Every update reflects our continued commitment to protecting endangered species, hands-on conservation, and creating engaging experiences for our visitors.

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok.