![\"Pictured:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292622887-43a0.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe stenciled artwork resembles missing capyabra Samba (Picture: Solent News)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe stenciled artwork resembles missing capyabra Samba (Picture: Solent News)<\/p>\n
Banksy<\/a>-style artworks depicting a capybara have started appearing on pubs near a zoo where one of the giant rodents is on the loose.<\/p>\n Pub managers near Marwell Zoo say they have been puzzled by capybara murals appearing overnight.<\/p>\n Staff found the murals of the covert capybara with a parachute on its back painted on the side of two pubs in Hampshire<\/a> when they started their shift.<\/p>\n It is thought to be a bizarre homage to Samba the capybara, who escaped from Marwell Zoo last month and is still on the run.<\/p>\n Nine-month-old Samba escaped from Marwell Zoo, near Southampton in Hampshire, on March 17, prompting huge search efforts involving thermal drones and a specialist sniffer dog.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSign up for all of the latest stories\t\t\t<\/p>\n Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates<\/a> newsletter or get Breaking News<\/a> alerts the moment it happens. <\/p>\n Marwell Zoo said that despite following up on several reported sightings, Samba remains on the loose.<\/p>\n Samba arrived at the zoo on March 16 after being transferred from Jimmy\u2019s Farm and Wildlife Park in Suffolk<\/a>, but escaped the following day along with her sister Tango.<\/p>\n \t\t While Tango was quickly found nearby, Samba, described as the \u2018more adventurous\u2019 of the pair, could not be located.<\/p>\n Now, two\u00a0Banksy-style murals have been found on pubs near Marwell in Southampton and Portsmouth.<\/p>\n A stencil was painted onto The A Bar, in Portsmouth, just weeks after an identical painting appeared on the wall at London<\/a> Road Brew House, in Southampton, with the same tag.<\/p>\n Within the mural is the artist tag \u2018Pidg\u2019, which seemingly takes credit for The A Bar\u2019s latest addition, but the identity of the creator remains unknown.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for The A Bar said: \u2018It\u2019s just above the flat roof, so the team arrived early this morning, so they saw it straight away and looked at the CCTV.<\/p>\n \u2018It was just before 3 o\u2019clock this morning, and it was a masked person who was wearing a high-vis, and was carrying a bucket and a step ladder. I think it\u2019s really fitting because it\u2019s been prominent in the local news with Samba the capybara making the headlines.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018There is definitely some excitement around it, and we don\u2019t see it as \u2018we\u2019ve been targeted,\u2019 but we think it\u2019s really sweet and capybaras are so cute, so we aren\u2019t mad about it. It isn\u2019t massive or offensive.\u2019<\/p>\n Skye Stevens, who works at the London Brew House pub and found the painting, said: \u2018It must have appeared overnight. I think he\u2019s adorable.<\/p>\n \u2018I sent it to the group chat, though, and they loved it. We\u2019ve named him\u00a0Banksy-bara.\u2019<\/p>\n Marwell Zoo has said that they are still committed to finding Samba and have encouraged the public to report any sightings to the staff.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Marwell Zoo said: \u2018Our teams remain fully committed and continue to carry out extensive searches both day and night. We are still using specialist tracking dogs, thermal drone technology, and camera traps in key areas where Samba is most likely to travel, particularly along waterways and dense vegetation.<\/p>\n \u2018While this is a challenging search due to the size of the area and Samba\u2019s natural instincts to stay hidden, we are not giving up and remain focused on bringing her home safely.\u2019<\/p>\n Anyone who believes they have seen Samba is asked to contact the zoo on a dedicated 24-hour hotline at 07436 167401.<\/p>\n Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this, check our news page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Pictured:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292623143-fb7c.jpg\")
\n\t\tSamba has been on the run for weeks now (Picture: Solent News)<\/p>\n![\"Pictured:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292622975-1e7d.jpg\")
\n\t\tPub managers were stunned to see the new artwork (Picture: Solent News)<\/p>\n
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