Capybaras have successfully colonized urban green spaces in South American cities, creating new welfare considerations around human-wildlife conflict, disease, and the ethics of lethal population management.
Urban capybaras occupy a complex welfare position: they are thriving in terms of food access and survival, yet face new mortality sources and are subject to lethal management driven by public health and nuisance concerns. Culling operations conducted under pressure often use methods that cause suffering due to inadequate training and equipment. The welfare case for coexistence strategies is supported both by their greater effectiveness and their avoidance of the direct suffering caused by culling. Managing tick populations through environmental means rather than killing capybaras addresses the health concern while preserving animal welfare.