A park in Texas is fighting a swarm of giant swamp rats that invaded the area last year.
Wildlife experts called on the public this week to feed the colony of swampy rats, also known as feeds, that are taking over Krauss Baker Park in Fort Worth.
Local park authorities said the colony began forming at least a year ago, but should not be encouraged to continue growing because of the damage the creatures could cause to the local ecosystem and water supply.
A colony has the potential to spread parasites to bodies of water that can lead to human infections if the water is used for drinking or recreation.
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This large colony of swampy rats invaded Krauss Baker Park in Fort Worth
Residents shared video to social media of the difficult takeover in recent weeks
The rodents can eat up to 25 percent of their body weight per day and large settlements lead to a decrease in water quality and the destruction of habitats for local animals and plants.
And with female feeds that can produce two to three caps a year, with a maximum of 15 offspring each time, the situation has the potential to get much worse.
On female nutria, it could in fact lead to 200 offspring a year.
Locals recently shared annoying images and videos of the bonded feeders as they took over an area in the park.
The animals, which are very similar to beavers, were even seen eating pellets for pet food next to a group of ducks.
Local people were left confused by the creatures, which had brown fur, a long flat tail, webbed hind legs and orange teeth.
While the swamp rats are not uncommon in Fort Worth, Texas Parks and Wildlife told WFAA that it is rare to see such a large group.
“They can eat about three pounds a day,” Rachel Richter, a wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife, told WFAA.
‘If left unchecked, you end up with erosion, destabilized banks, declining water quality, and much less of a habitat for native plants, animals and fish.’
The rodents have brown fur, a long flat tail, webbed hind legs and orange teeth.
The Parks Department has warned that they could reduce local water quality
Humans can also be directly affected by the parasites they spread to water.
She added: ‘They are harmful to humans because they degrade water quality in water bodies that may be used for recreation as drinking water.
‘They are also vectors for pathogens and parasites that can contaminate a body of water and potentially infect humans.’
Judge said they are of the opinion that there are currently about 20 swamp rats in Krauss Baker Park and that they are well fed on food from park patrons.
“Feeding wildlife is really something you should not do under any circumstances,” Richter warned.
‘It can cause populations to inflate artificially, which can damage the ecosystem.
‘When people eat wildlife, they usually have the best of intentions. But they do not realize that they can do evil. ‘
Rachel Richter, a wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife, urged the public not to feed the swamp rats and explained how their huge appetite can destroy the ecosystem
The rats have been seen feeding with pet food next to ducks
The city of Fort Worth has said it is monitoring the situation, yet taking over the swamp rates is not just an issue in Texas.
The animals were originally brought to the United States by fur traders in the late 1800s and sold as vegetation control because of their healthy appetites, but have since become a nuisance for wildlife conservation.
Representatives of Congress and senators in California and Louisiana are pushing for funding that will help the states fight back against the rodent takeover.
In Louisiana, it is estimated that there is a swamp population of five million, about half a million more than there are people in the state.
There, hunters are paid to kill the nutria population in an attempt to keep it at bay.
Meanwhile in California, Senator Dianne Feinstein warned that the damage colonies of nutrients that cause agriculture in the state could reach one billion dollars.
Feinstein and Louisiana Senator John N. Kennedy earlier in August demanded the money the U.S. government pays to states to tackle the problem to double to $ 12 million a year.
In Louisiana, hunters are being paid to kill the state’s five million swamp population
Fungal fungi appeared in California, pictured, in 2017 and are already considered a plague
According to CBS, Congress approved the Nutria Eradication and Control Act in 2003, which established a fund to help Maryland and Louisiana control the animals.
In late July, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation that could potentially allow California to benefit from the fund as well.
“This is a huge win for farmers and environmentalists in the Valley,” said California rep. Josh Harder.
‘Both groups are concerned about the swamp rat invasion and rightly so – if we do not get these things under control over the next few years, they will overrun our farms and wetlands. ‘
California had previously managed to eradicate nutria from the state in the 1970s, but they reappeared in 2017.
More than 1,500 of the animals have been since 2018, with more than 500 since May 2020, Harder said.
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