In Argentina, giant rodents vie with the rich for top real estate

Nordelta is a 1,600 hectare (3,950 acre) luxury private urban complex built on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, on a wetland from the Parana river that is the capybara's natural habitat.Also known as a carpincho or chiguire, the capybara is the largest rodent in the world and can measure up to 1.35 meters (53 inches) in length and reach 80 kilograms (176 pounds) in weight."Now that the damage has been done, the residents need to reach a certain level of coexistence with the carpinchos," said Di Martino.But since work to build a clinic began on the last remaining piece of natural land, many residents have noted a sudden capybara "invasion."Nordelta and similar luxury developments on wetlands have also been a controversial topic in Argentina.In politically polarized Argentina, leftists have long attacked Nordelta as an example of elite exploitation, while jokingly presenting the capybara as a hero of the working classes.Di Martino says the proliferation of capybaras is harmful to the environment, but that too is the fault of humans."It's happening all over the country, in urbanized and non-urbanized areas. It is caused by the alteration and degradation of ecosystems. We've extinguished a ton of species that were their natural predators," Di Martino told AFP."When there's a herbivore without a predator threatening it, it doesn't hide and can spend all day eating, thereby degrading the vegetation which traps less carbon and contributes to climate change."Not everyone in Nordelta views them as a nuisance. In fact they have become the main attraction in the residential complex.Some Nordelta residents want to create a natural reserve for the capybaras to live in."A 20 to 30 hectare reserve is enough to maintain diversity. They are defenseless animals, we corner them, we take away their habitat and now we complain because they're invading.""It's complicated, you need to keep them away from children and pets. And then you're going to have to find a way to reduce the population, maybe moving them to other places."... Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au