Editing Capybara (section)

==Conservation and human interaction==
Capybaras are not considered a threatened species;<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> their population is stable throughout most of their South American range, though in some areas hunting has reduced their numbers.<ref name="Smithsonian"/><ref name="Bristol"/> Capybaras are hunted for their meat and pelts in some areas,<ref name="inRich" /> and otherwise killed by humans who see their grazing as competition for livestock. In some areas, they are farmed, which has the effect of ensuring the wetland habitats are protected. Their survival is aided by their ability to breed rapidly.<ref name="Bristol" />

Capybaras have adapted well to urbanization in South America. They can be found in many areas in zoos and parks,<ref name="SFZoo" /> and may live for 12 years in captivity, more than double their wild lifespan.<ref name="Bristol" /> Capybaras are docile and usually allow humans to pet and hand-feed them, but physical contact is normally discouraged, as their [[tick]]s can be [[vector (epidemiology)|vectors]] to [[Rocky Mountain spotted fever]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://drauziovarella.com.br/audios-videos/estacao-medicina/febre-maculosa/ |title=Febre maculosa: "Os médicos no Brasil não conhecem a doença|date=12 April 2011|trans-title= Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Brazilian doctors unaware of the disease |language=pt |publisher=drauziovarella.com.br |access-date=2015-08-13}}</ref> The [[European Association of Zoos and Aquaria]] asked [[Drusillas Park]] in [[Alfriston]], [[Sussex]], England, to keep the [[studbook]] for capybaras, to monitor captive populations in Europe. The studbook includes information about all births, deaths and movements of capybaras, as well as how they are related.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drusillas.co.uk/conservation-1 |title=Conservation at Drusillas Park |publisher=Drusillas.co.uk |access-date=2013-05-27}}</ref>

Capybaras are farmed for meat and skins in South America.<ref name="SDzoo"/> The meat is considered unsuitable to eat in some areas, while in other areas it is considered an important source of protein.<ref name=r4/> In parts of South America, especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular during [[Lent]] and [[Holy Week]] as the Catholic Church (according to a legend) previously issued special dispensation to allow it to be eaten while other meats are [[Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church|generally forbidden]].<ref name="NYSun"/><ref name="NYTimes2007">{{Cite news |last=Romero |first=Simon |date=2007-03-21 |title=In Venezuela, Rodents Can Be a Delicacy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131014211839/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html?_r=0 |archive-date=14 Oct 2013 |access-date=2021-04-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |quote=Legend has it that eating capybara, known here as chigüire (pronounced chee-GWEE-reh), got a boost in the 18th century when the local clergy asked the Vatican to give capybara the status of fish. (...) It remains more popular in Venezuela’s rural interior than in the capital.}}</ref> There is widespread perception in Venezuela that consumption of capybaras is exclusive to rural people.<ref name="NYTimes2007"/>

In August 2021, Argentine and international media reported that capybaras had been disturbing residents of [[Nordelta]], an affluent gated community north of [[Buenos Aires]] built atop the local capybara's preexisting wetland habitat. This inspired social media users to jokingly adopt the capybara as a symbol of [[class struggle]] and [[communism]].<ref name="TheGuardian_20210822">{{cite web|title=Attack of the giant rodents or class war? Argentina's rich riled by new neighbors|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 August 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/22/argentina-capybaras-giant-rodents-gated-community |last=Goñi |first=Uki}}</ref> Brazilian Lyme-like [[borreliosis]] likely involves capybaras as reservoirs and ''[[Amblyomma]]'' and ''[[Rhipicephalus]]'' ticks as vectors.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Basile |first1=Roberta Carvalho |last2=Yoshinari |first2=Natalino Hajime |last3=Mantovani |first3=Elenice |last4=Bonoldi |first4=Virgínia Nazário |last5=Macoris |first5=Delphim da Graça |last6=Queiroz-Neto |first6=Antonio de |title=Brazilian borreliosis with special emphasis on humans and horses |journal=Brazilian Journal of Microbiology |date=4 October 2016 |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=167–172 |doi=10.1016/j.bjm.2016.09.005 |pmid=27769883 |pmc=5220628 }}</ref>

A [[Animal cafe#Capybara café|Capybara café]] in [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], [[Florida]]  allows visitors to interact with and give head scratches to the rodents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Giant rodents cuddle with visitors at the Capybara Cafe in Florida|url=https://apnews.com/article/florida-capybara-cafe-st-augustine-54ce3807f084e9de61f72a79c6633e10|newspaper=Associated Press News|date=April 12, 2025}}</ref>