If you live near water in Albany and, somewhere near you, new houses or businesses are being built, you may find destructive unwanted guests on your lawn, in your garden, or on your patio or deck. They’re nutria.
Nutria look a lot like beaver but aren’t as big and they have a rat-like (not flat) tail. They live in burrows in the banks of rivers, sloughs, streams and ponds and can cause considerable damage by weakening roadbeds, sidewalks, stream banks, dams and dikes. Nutria are also tough on gardens and field crops, trees and shrubs, and lawns and can damage natural plants.
In Oregon, nutria are classified as unprotected nongame wildlife. That means they can be trapped and killed; they cannot be relocated. Property owners don’t need a license to control nutria on their property. Albany prohibits discharging a firearm within the city limits, but a pellet gun or bow and arrow may be used as long as the projectiles don’t leave the property.
The City of Albany does not trap or otherwise remove nutria from private property. If you have a nutria problem, it’s best to contact a professional trapper for help.
For other information about nutria in Oregon, visit https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/nutria.asp
