Capybara  (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

The capybara is extensively hunted for its meat and hide, as well as for a grease from its thick, fatty skin, which is used in the pharmaceutical trade (4) (5) (9). The hide is used to make high-quality leather (5) (6), for which there is a large internal market within South America (1), and the fur may be used to make gloves (10). The capybara is also sometimes killed by farmers as a pest, either because it may attack cereal or fruit crops, or because it is mistakenly viewed as a competitor with domestic livestock (3) (4) (6) (9). Despite these threats, the species still has a wide distribution and large global population (1), and the increasing conversion of forest to grassland, together with management regimes employed on cattle ranches (such as predator control, provision of water, and burning), may even be helping to create more suitable capybara habitat (5) (9). However, some local capybara populations have decreased or even disappeared where hunting pressure is intense, such as near human settlement and along rivers, which are the main travel routes of hunters (1) (2) (10).

The capybara occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its range (1), and efforts have been made to control hunting in many areas (9). Despite this, the capybara is still often killed illegally, and capybara meat is commonly found in rural markets throughout Amazonia (9). However, with its fast growth rate, large size, social lifestyle, cheap diet and high reproductive output, the capybara, if properly managed, is believed to be of great potential for sustainable harvest programmes (2) (9). The species is currently hunted commercially in licensed ranches in the Llanos of Venezuela, which has apparently resulted in stabilisation of the local capybara population (3) (5) (9). The capybara is in fact more efficient at digesting plant material than cattle and horses, and ranching this species in its natural habitat provides a viable and more profitable alternative or addition to cattle ranching (3) (9). Additionally, it helps to maintain natural wetlands which may otherwise be drained for cattle (4). It has been suggested that other seasonally flooded savanna areas, such as the Pantanal of Brazil, have the potential for similar schemes for the sustainable management of this remarkable rodent (9).