The state of California continues to experience a myriad of problems as the far-left stronghold struggles to adapt to living in a post-Obama world.
A state that already has a one-party government that rules like Stalin’s Soviet Politburo, astronomical housing costs, sanctuary cities, fires, drought, crime, institutionalized sexual degeneracy and most of all too many liberals, now has another very serious threat to deal with.
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The nutria rat invasion has commenced.
State wildlife officials are hitting the panic button after a number of the large, invasive and rapacious swamp rodents were recently discovered in Stanislaus County and a frantic effort to trap and otherwise contain the critters before they multiply is underway.
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Nutria, a very large and very invasive rodent, has been spotted in California. Wildlife officials say the rodent, which can grow up to a meter in length and produce over 200 babies a year, is a threat to California's wetlands. https://t.co/NZAPVytgFt
— KPIX 5 (@CBSSF) February 8, 2018
San Francisco CBS affiliate KPIX-5 is reporting “Invasive Rodent That Can Grow To A Meter Long Threatens California Wetlands”:
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Wildlife officials are asking California residents to report any sightings of nutria — an invasive rodent that eats so much aquatic vegetation that it threatens wetlands and marshes.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday it is trying to eradicate the rodents from the state because once established, nutria could cause loss of wetlands, damage to agricultural crops and levees, dikes and roadbeds.
It says more than 20 nutria have been found in wetlands, rivers and canals and in Merced, Fresno and Stanislaus counties.
Native to South America, nutria can reach up to 2.5 feet (1 meter) in body length and 20 pounds (9 kilograms) in weight.
A female nutria can give birth to more than 200 offspring within a year of reaching reproductive maturity.
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Via The San Francisco Chronicle “Invasive 20-pound rodents increasingly burrowing into California”:
A giant invasive rodent with the ability to destroy roads, levees and wetlands has been discovered in Stanislaus County.
Weighing in at 20 pounds and measuring 2 feet, 6 inches long, plus a 12-inch tail, the nutria live in or near water. They’re also incredibly destructive.
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“They burrow in dikes, and levees, and road beds, so they weaken infrastructure, (which is) problematic for flood control systems,” California Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Peter Tira said.
When nutria aren’t burrowing, they’re eating. They can consume 25 percent of their body weight each day in vegetation, but they waste and destroy 10 times that.
Since 2017, more than 20 nutria have been spotted in Stanislaus, Merced and Fresno counties. However, that number could explode if they aren’t dealt with quickly. Nutria can give birth to up to 200 offspring each year.
“We have traps out. We’re setting traps. We have trail cameras,” Tira said. “We’re really asking for the public’s help to report sightings so we can get a handle on the extent of the problem.”
Nutria are native to South America, and they were introduced to California in 1899 for their mink-like fur.
Wildlife officials believed they were eradicated from the state in 1978 but now think a colony may have stayed under the radar and only recently reemerged
With the news that many humans are fleeing California and especially San Francisco in droves, it is a bit ironic that they could soon be replaced by the large furry rats.
Hey, at least the nutria won’t be demanding free healthcare and other freebies from the state government.
