Against overpopulation What can the city do about all the nutrias?

Bonn · The nutria population in the city of Bonn is a cause of concern for the city and conservationists because they disturb the balance of the ecosystem. But how do you get rid of the rodents? A hunter explains what can be done and which species it is better not to feed.

 Some find nutrias cute, but they have become a serious threat to the ecosystem.

Some find nutrias cute, but they have become a serious threat to the ecosystem.

Foto: Frank Rumpenhorst

They are bushy and much bigger than they look in pictures. Some think they’re cute, others find them a bit disgusting: beaver rats or nutrias. There are many of these animals, which are originally from South America, in Bonn, especially in the Rheinaue: The Lower Nature Conservation Authority counted 55 specimens last January. Many passers-by are tempted to feed the rodents, perhaps because of their cuddly fur or simply for the joy of interacting with animals. This is probably one of the reasons why the population in Germany, especially in Bonn, has recently exploded.

But 55 animals on an area of 160 hectares of the Rhine floodplain is many times what nature can tolerate. Plants and river banks are suffering massively. Peter Meyer of the Bonn Nature Conservation Association can confirm this: "There are far too many. They have no natural enemies." He pleads for the city to take on the problem. As a conservationist, he clearly positions himself in favour of hunting the animals.

Animal rights activists thwarted hunters' plans

Not everyone is well-disposed towards the hunters who are supposed to solve the problem. The city's hunting advisor and chairperson of the local hunters' association, Lutz Schorn, is aware of the dilemma. Such issues always have an emotional component, because what it boils down to is the question of killing animals. "I can totally understand all animal lovers. In principle, you have to get all parties at the table and discuss the problem. But not everyone is realistic," says the hunter.

For example, years ago, when a rabbit plague caused considerable damage to the exotic plants in the Poppelsdorfer Schloss botanical gardens, activists thwarted the planned culling. "At six in the morning, the animal rights activists came with banners and blocked our way," says Schorn. The activists did not respond to the demand that they pay for the damage to the plants themselves.

Hunting animals in a recreational area?

In the case of the nutria infestation, getting society on the side of the hunting advocates is by far the least of the problems. The central problem is how to go about culling the animals. How do you get rid of a large number of creatures that live in the middle of a highly frequented recreational area? For a hunt, the area would have to be closed off on a large scale, thousands of people would not be allowed to enter the huge park. An illusory plan.

At the Kleve nature conservation centre, Schorn reports, reeds - a common marsh plant popular with the rodents - have already almost completely disappeared. Birds who need marches to survive, such as the bittern, are indirectly threatened. In the Netherlands, where dyke protection is very important, beaver rats have been almost completely eradicated. Their digging poses a massive threat to the dikes.

Since the Rheinaue belongs to the city, a cooperative and pragmatic solution is needed, says Schorn: "There are nutria professionals for such things. You could work with traps, for example." The animals' bodies could also be recycled. The colleagues in Kleve, for example, pass them on to zoos for feeding. Nutria meat is also considered a delicacy in some regions. The rodents are not subject to nature conservation, but they are not allowed to be hunted. However, the EU classifies them as an "invasive species" that must be regulated.

This is what city spokeswoman Andrea Schulte wrote upon request. And she continues: "In Bonn, the animals have multiplied in recent years, especially in the Rheinaue, and they cause a lot of damage locally: They eat tree bark, cause considerable damage to the banks of the Rhine floodplain through digging activities, and endangered animal species such as the great pond mussel are on the nutria's food list. "The city of Bonn would therefore also have to "take management measures" in the future to contain the nutria population. The Lower Nature Conservation Authority is working on a concept.

Should wild birds be fed?

And what about feeding birds - apart from pigeons? "I'm more relaxed about that," replies Schorn. One side insists that wild animals should remain in their natural habitat. But that was often exactly where humans intervened by building developments. And if children become nature lovers through feeding birds, that is a positive thing. Schorn: "If you take care of nature, you appreciate it."

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