War on Capybaras
| War on Capybaras | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Karnia-Ruthenia
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 Wild capybaras
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| Commanders | |||||||
 Emperor-King Oscar Archduke Ari Brazilian Volunteers
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2 2
Total: 4 |
Unknown
Total: Uncertain | ||||||
The War on Capybaras is a national military campaign of Karno-Ruthenian government, of animal control, with the aim of stop or at least reduce the damages made by invasive capybaras on Karno-Ruthenian plantations in Weißeswasser, Hoheneinsamkeit, Ladislavia and Cieszpreg and Zallanta, the north region of Ruthenia.
Invasor[edit | edit source]
The capybara, also called capivara in Brazil, or greater capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent[1] and a member of the genus Hydrochoerus. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the nutria. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100 individuals, but usually live in groups of 10–20 individuals. The capybara is hunted for its meat and hide and also for grease from its thick fatty skin.[2]
Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. They are very selective feeders and feed on the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it. They eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season, as fewer plants are available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to more abundant reeds during the dry season.
Capybaras are not considered a threatened species; their population is stable throughout most of their South American range, though in some areas hunting has reduced their numbers. Capybaras are hunted for their meat and pelts in some areas, and otherwise killed by humans who see their grazing as competition for livestock.
Control of invasion[edit | edit source]
Animal control is at least as old as agriculture, as there has always been a need to keep crops free from pests. As long ago as 3000 BC in Egypt, cats were used to control pests of grain stores such as rodents.[3][4] Ferrets were domesticated by 1500 BC in Europe for use as mousers. Mongooses were introduced into homes to control rodents and snakes, probably by the ancient Egyptians.[5]
Not only their grazing as competition for livestock in Ruthenia, capybaras were destroying plantations of maize, rice and many other fruits. Although a common occorrence, by 2023 the invasion of capybaras reached alarmant levels, and on 07 March 2023, the Second Army, along a unit of Brazilian Volunteers composed by employees of the farms that belong to the Imperial Family, started a campaign against the invasive species, reinforcing fences, monitoring plantations and failing to prevent the hunting of animals, as long as the regulations of the Brazilian Government are followed.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Basic Biology (2015). "Rodents".
- ↑ Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), Archived in 2012-01-03 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Taylor, D., The Complete Contented Cat: Your Ultimate Guide to Feline Fulfilment, David & Charles, 2011, p.9. Archived from the Original
- ↑ Beadle, Muriel (1979-10-29). Cat. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-25190-1.
- ↑ Sherman, D.M., Tending Animals in the Global Village: A Guide to International Veterinary Medicine, John Wiley & Sons, 2007, p. 45.