Between January 12 and 13, 2026, an operation was conducted to relocate six male capybaras from the Nordelta property in Tigre to the Arroyo La Casilla Private Nature Reserve, located in San Fernando.
The action was defined as a “pilot test” by provincial authorities and was authorized by the Ministry of Agrarian Development of Buenos Aires and the Administrative Litigation Court No. 1 of San Isidro, led by Judge María Paula Venere.
The measure responded to a request from the Nordelta Neighborhood Association S.A. (AVN) made in 2024, initially approved by the Provincial Directorate of Agricultural Oversight, judicially suspended, and later reauthorized.
The destination reserve
The conservation project Arroyo La Casilla began at the end of 2023 with the purchase of a 166-hectare plot by ten families.
- The property has 2.5 km of coastline along the La Casilla stream.
- It is composed of 84% floodplains and 16% ridges.
- Between 90% and 95% of the land is allocated for ecological conservation, while the rest is reserved for common use and private residences.
- Operating expenses are covered by a monthly fee from the owners.
The reserve is located in the transition zone of the Paraná Delta Biosphere Reserve, which enhances its environmental value.
The socio-environmental conflict in Nordelta
The relocation of capybaras is part of a complex conflict that combines urbanization, biodiversity, and citizen coexistence.
Causes of the problem
- Urbanization and loss of wetlands: the development of Nordelta drastically reduced the natural habitat of the capybaras.
- Overpopulation: the absence of natural predators and the abundance of resources (gardens, lagoons) favored population growth.
Impacts and consequences
- For the neighbors: damage to gardens, risk of road accidents, and dangerous encounters with pets.
- For the capybaras: run-overs, mistreatment, electric fences, pollution, and lack of adequate habitat.
The current dispute (2024-2026)
- Relocation: the plan to move specimens to private reserves generates legal and social tensions.
- Opposing views: some neighbors support the relocation, while activists defend the animals’ right to remain in their environment, proposing alternatives such as non-lethal deterrents.
- Legal situation: there are judicial protections that safeguard the capybaras, creating a “judicial swamp” over the authorization of control measures.
The relocation of six capybaras to the San Fernando reserve constitutes a first relocation trial within the framework of a conflict that exposes the tensions between urbanization and conservation.
The pilot experience seeks to evaluate the feasibility of integrating private conservation projects as a partial solution, while the debate continues on how to ensure balanced coexistence between neighbors and wildlife in Nordelta.
