This 10 pound Rodent is ravaging the Gulf Coast Wetlands
This pest was imported from Argentina for the fur trade around the start the 20th century because of the dwindling mink and musk rat population. By the mid 1970’s an estimated 1.5 million Nutria were being trapped per year. In the mid 1990’s PETA and other groups basically killed the fur industry. Nutria breed very rapidly and can have up to 13 offspring. Nutria eat the wetland grass including the roots that hold the land together causing severe erosion. 1000’s of acres have been lost. It is estimated that by 2050 another 640,000 acres will wash away. This is undermining the Mississippi levies, creating havoc throughout the eco system and causing billions of dollars in lost revenue and property damage.
