Team Capybara hunts for furry fugitives in High Park

The High Parkcapybaras' days and nights of freedom might soon be over.

Team Capybara, a small group of volunteers dedicated to capturing the rodentson the lam in Toronto,searched for the beastsonWednesday nightinHigh Park.

In recent days, there have been plenty of sightings of the furry fugitives that have been on the loose for more than two weeks.

Diogo Beltran, a volunteer who wrangled plenty of capybaras in his native Brazil before moving to Canada, said the team isusingcorn to lure the rodents into a variety oftraps that have been set out in areas of the park where the animals have been spotted.

• There have been 'a handful' of credible capybara sightings in High Park
• How (and maybe why) the Bonnie andClydeof capybaras made their daringescape

"Yesterday, we had visual confirmation from the capturing team of the capybara. We were able to locate where they are hanging out. It's an enclosed area. Tonight, we can actually start placing strategic traps that will have a little bit more effect than just the scouting that we were doing before," Beltran said.

Thetraps include: a pressure plate cage, where the animal goes inside thecage and the gate closes;a net trap, in which corn is placed in the middle of the net and a rope is pulled to capture the animal;and a gate pen, which is like a pig pen with a door that closes behind the animal.

Beltan said the problem is the traps havecaught the attention of other animals.

"We don't want to capture all the raccoons in the park," he said.

Beltran was trying to capture the rodents Tuesdaynight with a net.

He saidhe had two "solid opportunities" Tuesday to catch one ofthe capybaras when he got within a metre of one of it. The capybara barked and jumped at Beltran when he was in the water.

Beltransays at least one of the capybaras is hiding in a mostly fenced in area.

City knows 'favoured spots' of capybaras

More and more credible sightings of thefugitives have been rolling in to the city's parks department over the past few days and officials are now confirming that some eager hunters did spot the elusive rodents.

Megan Price, spokesperson for Toronto's parks, forestry and recreation,saidthe city nowknows where the capybara duo is hiding and their "favoured spots."

As a result, more traps have been set up in the confirmed sighting area. Experts have told parks officials that bait traps are the best way to catch the beasts.

• Capturing High Park capybaras 'like running after a cheetah'

But eager amateurs beware, unless you're an experienced wrangler like Beltran, the city is still recommending that members of the public avoid approaching the rodents.

Staff ask that instead you call 311 if you spot the dynamic duo and keep a distance so that they aren'tscared away from the area where officials have found them.

But if the capybaras' Twitter account is any indication, it seems like the rodents of unusual size might have realized that theirdays on the lam are numbered and could be making a run for it.