Il Topastro

First the crawfish, and now the nutria . . . I tell you, this place feels more like home each and every day. Not long ago I thought that I spotted one on a nearby riverbank – now I am certain it was indeed a nutria, or nutria rat as we so lovingly referred to them in my home growing up.


Indigenous to South America, the rodents were imported to farms for the fur industry in both Italy and South LA in the 20’s and 30’s. When their demand waned and their population exploded, they “escaped” (or were set free) and quickly grew in population. With no natural predator in either environment, these herbivores ravage the local crops and devastate the land; the marsh land in LA is particularly vulnerable.

A recent article, “The Province Declares War on the Nutria” ,on vicenza.com confirms that the pesky rodents are wreaking havoc here in much the same way that they do in LA.

There are ongoing efforts in both places to control the population. In Louisiana, attempts to market the nutria for its fur and meat have not been incredibly successful. Currently, there is a federally funded Coastwide Nutria Control Program that pays trappers $4 to $5 per nutria tail. In the Province of Vicenza, the hunting season for the pesky critters has been extended beyond that of the normal season, but not without opposition of animal activist groups who defend the poor exploited animal.



I have no idea whether the locals here are eating it -- probably so, on some level. Remember, my neighbors eat crawfish. There are certainly folks in Louisiana eating it from time to time. Recipes, to include Nutria Chili, Heart Healthy Crock Pot Nutria, and Smothered Nutria are readily available online.

I, for one, will pass on the nutria.

This post is for Cory, who of all the people I know, might be interested in the parallels of the nutria problems in the Province of Vicenza and Louisiana.


Photos taken from www.nutria.com.