Eight people were detained for beating a capybara in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro police have arrested eight people for beating a capybara. They are accused of cruelty to animals, criminal conspiracy and involvement of minors in criminal activities, as teenagers participated in the attack. This is reported by the newspaper O Globo.

"This is a crime that has shocked society. This is an act of extreme cruelty towards a creature that posed no threat, but was attacked anyway," said Felipe Santoro, Commissioner of the city police.

The attack took place on the night of March 21st. Eight men, including two teenagers, beat a defenseless rodent with sticks and iron rods on a street in the Ilha do Governador area.

The attackers were identified thanks to surveillance cameras. The attackers were arrested shortly after the incident and are awaiting trial, police said in a statement. Footage of the arrest was shown on national television.

The injured capybara, a male about six years old, was hospitalized at a wildlife rehabilitation center. According to a local veterinarian, it was the first time he had encountered a beaten capybara. The animal had a traumatic brain injury, internal bleeding around the left eye and multiple back injuries, the report said.

Due to urbanization and deforestation, capybaras often come out to people and are accustomed to the presence of humans in their natural habitats. They are often found in the cities of the state of Sao Paulo and other regions rich in water. Capybaras can be found in parks and on roads, especially at night. The country has rules for the treatment of these animals, and their mistreatment is prosecuted.

In February, Sergey Pisarev, a member of the presidium of the Union of Zoos and Aquariums of Russia, director of the Barnaul Zoo, said that there was a shortage of capybaras in Russian zoos, as many institutions began to actively acquire these animals due to their increased popularity.

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