The Giant Rat Of Louisiana Heads North

The Lafayette, Louisiana Daily Advertiser reports on the progress of a giant rat invasion. The giant rats, known as nutria, first showed up in the area 50 years ago or so. They won't leave. Well, except to invade another place, that is.

Nutria were already eating up too much of Acadiana 50 years ago today when a big meeting was called in New Iberia to deal with the "crop-killing infestation" of Acadiana's biggest rat.

Part of the problem, according to agriculture commissioner Sidney McCleary, was that Hurricane Audrey drove thousands of nutria out of coastal marshes and into farmers' fields.

With no marsh grass to eat, the nutria had begun to eat farmers out of house and home - with the heaviest damage reported in Iberia, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes…….

…….The latest study tells us flatly, "There is no known method that will completely eradicate nutria."

But at least we're not alone anymore. They're having the same infestation problem today in the wetlands around Chesapeake Bay. That may be close enough to Washington that someone there will notice.

Now, we thought the Cajuns had come up with the perfect way to deal with the infestation: cook-offs. If you have ever seen a "Cajun microwave" you know that those folks take cooking - and eating - very, very seriously. (And if you haven't eaten pig cooked in one of those, you have never eaten pork!)  We'd have thought the nutria would be running back for the border by now. We are sorely disappointed. Oh well, now the giant rats of Louisiana are moving on Washington, DC. Which, in a few years, may present an entirely new problem. How are we going to tell them apart from the politicians?