Posted on 03/05/2025 8:48:28 AM PST by Red Badger
In a development that may not completely square with new HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s crusade to "Make America Healthy Again," government officials suggested that people should deal with the growing population of an invasive rodent species the old-fashioned way.
By eating them.
In a story reported by The New York Post, the federal government has helpfully informed Americans that nutria — an invasive rat-like rodent species increasing in population across the country — may be perfect for your next meal.
As part of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services released a list of the top five invasive species that can safely be caught, captured, and cooked in an effort to crack down on overpopulation.
The nutria topped the list. The agency noted that hunting the rodent isn't an end-all-be-all solution, but that it's a step in the right direction.
With everyone talking about the rising cost of meat these days, it should come as a tremendous relief that dinner for your family may be just as close as your nearby swamp or river bank.
Nutria can specifically be found along the Gulf Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Southeastern United States. Its exact population, though, is unknown.
The rat-like behemoth is larger than a muskrat and smaller than a beaver — two animals they're often mistaken for. They can weigh anywhere between 15 and 20 pounds.
Sounds delicious, right?
So put to rest any worries you may have about being able to feed your family amid ongoing inflation.
Giant swamp rat. It's what's for dinner!
I’ve never had armadillo.
People who know advise against trying possum.
I remember the 1950s when raising Cabana Nutria in your basement or garage for fun and profit(skins) was the scam of the 1950s. Soon the scam fell out of favor and people began to realize they had been “HAD”. They then released their Nutria in local rivers and creeks.
“CABANA NUTRIA” they were called at the height of the scam.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolRidiculous/comments/o6ny8y/nutria_opportunity_1958/?rdt=55987
Roasted with enough spices, can eat any animal.
Were you artfully served the armadillo in its shell?
Nutria were introduced into Louisiana in the 20th century.
No, it was cooked in a pressure cooker and was still tough! under That shell is solid muscle!..................
We used to have them , they have been eradicated, how exactly, I’m not sure , but they haven’t come back, it’s been 10+ years .
When they were here, they’d dig into the banks of canals, causing them to collapse .
Got to know? Does it taste like chicken?
Rodents of Unusual Size? I don’t think they exist.
Ah. Maybe like ham, it would have been better if the ‘dillo had been fed truffles!
aren’t they guinea pigs?
WE are.........................
“Nutria meat is often described as tasting similar to rabbit or dark turkey meat, with a lean and mild flavor; many say it is most comparable to the dark meat of a turkey when cooked properly.”
Those things make great eating.
Wonder what happened to the huge mega rabbits that were sent to North Korea to help solve their famines.
Armadillo carry leprosy. Don’t eat them.
Coyotes, being predators, are dangerous — ‘cause preds eat sick animals. Like those with mad cow disease. This is how HIV was “discovered” — arseoles decided that eating omnivorous monkeys was OK.
Nutria are herbivores. Well, as much herbies as a deer is. And a deer will eat little birds.
I spent a summer in Tx and we routinely shot the buggers from our fishing boat — and fed their bodies to their hunting dogs.
They are big enough to prepare. Bigger than most rabbits.
Squirrels are rodents, so I guess if a person will eat a squirrel, they might as well eat a nutria. On the other hand, though I don’t eat squirrel, I imagine their meat is pretty good, seeing as how they eat a lot of nuts. Nutria? Not so much...
Always makes me sad seeing people shoot coyotes for no reason. There are two packs that come and go on my property. They keep the rodent population under control and eat the occasional dead deer. I enjoy listening to them at night.
These nutria, do coyotes eat them? How is their fur? Maybe we can get a rapper to wear a nutria fur coat like “Shorty the Pimp” and make it a fashion statement.
I’m a native of New Orleans, and lived in southeast Louisiana until just recently. Originally imported from South America, nutria have been a problem ever since being released in the early 1900s. They are prolific breeders, and eat vegetation voraciously, including the roots. They also burrow into levees and canal banks, causing erosion and weakening.
While they are a concern wherever they go, Louisiana has been hit the hardest. Back in the 1990s our nutria problem made national news, as local authorities considered various ways of controlling them. One of the most successful methods was done in Jefferson Parish by then sheriff Harry Lee. He assigned deputies to hunt the nutria with .22 caliber rifles. This was safe and humane, without any collateral damage which would result from poisons or traps. It also allowed his deputies to hone their marksmanship skills.
Around the same time some restaurants tried introducing nutria meat to their menus, calling it “marsh rabbit.” That was not successful. One company announced that it had signed a trade deal with China to export millions of pounds of nutria meat, but I believe that fell through. I also think an attempt was made to market nutria fur, also without success.
Back then I was a volunteer staff diver at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, something I did for 20 years. Another volunteer there was a colorful Cajun fellow named Art. Among other things, he had been a licensed alligator trapper, and wore a huge alligator tooth on a necklace. In 1996 I happened to turn on an evening network news magazine show, and they were covering the nutria story, including how Jefferson Parish was dealing with them. The reporter then brought in a local expert, and it was none other than Art! I sat and watched him give his informed opinions, and humorous stories, right there on national television.
Occasionally we would have continuing education events at the Aquarium, which were done as potluck dinners. Art and I attended these often. On two occasions he brought dishes cooked with nutria meat. One was a stew, the other a gumbo. I ate both, and was stunned at how delicious it was. Unlike some other wild game, it had no gamey flavor whatsoever. It was very lean, and literally tasted like chicken. I’m actually surprised that it never took off as a food source, but I suppose it’s because many people can’t get over the animal’s resemblance to a rat. (Yet people eat snails and raw oysters, go figure...)
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