Food for thought or food for the plate?

THE EDITOR: Within the last year there has been increased sightings of animals about the size of sheep but closely resembling the agouti or lappe. This “phantom animal” is in fact the largest member of the rodent family which also includes the agouti and lappe. It is the capybara.

There are now several confirmations of populations of capybara existing along the Caroini drainage (rivers that flow into the Caroni River) from St Helena to Beetham. So does this mean it’s okay to hunt down these animals to extinction?

There are several schools of thought regarding the arrival and establishment of the capybara populations. Firstly, these animals have been documented at the southeastern to southwest coastline. Recently floating “islands” of vegetation were seen off the Icacos coastline.

These “islands” originate from the South American mainland and bring with them several terrestrial and semi-aquatic animals such as reptiles, amphibians and even capybaras.

The spiralling Gulf of Paria currents give the potential colonisers several access points to Trinidad’s wetlands. Another potential introduction could be the illegal trade of wildlife (with the capybara escaping) or even intentional introduction. But whatever the mechanism by which they arrived, there are now established populations.

Some may argue this animal is an alien invasive species therefore it should be eradicated. “Alien invasive” is described as “a species or subspecies, introduced outside its natural past or present distribution, subsequently reproduces and its spread threatens ecosystems, habitats or native species.”

By this definition, if the capybara has negative effects on any plant or animal system in Trinidad, control measures should be put in place to eradicate or manage it.

With an invasive species there is fast growth, rapid reproduction, high dispersal ability, tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions, ability to live off a wide range of food types and lack of major predators. The capybara has none of these attributes.

At several First Peoples’ archeological sites in Trinidad, capybara bones and teeth have been found, indicating a past presence in Trinidad. This is largely because they require a very specific habitat, slow flowing to stagnant freshwater with a high density of aquatic vegetation. Considering they have been in Trinidad for at least the last decade, if they were carrying any pathogens, these would have already been dispersed within the ecosystem.

With the exception of jaguars, Trinidad has two of the other large predators that prey on capybaras, anacondas and caiman, both of which are in the Caroni drainage.

For these reasons it is believed the capybara should be deemed an established exotic as opposed to being an invasive species.

Invasive and established exotics are not mentioned in the current schedule listings in the Wildlife Act though. This act is currently under review, so the legality of hunting these animals will soon be established. It is believed, however, the management of capybara should be similar to the mechanisms for regulating the hunting of our game species in Schedule I. Therefore a total eradication might not be necessary.

The population and hunting of these animals are unregulated, but with greater public awareness it is hoped this will fuel thoughts on wildlife management and not simply food for the pot.

RYAN S MOHAMMED via e-mail

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"Food for thought or food for the plate?"

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