Survey targets 15-pound destructive rodents - Delaware

Survey targets 15-pound destructive rodents

By Laren Hughes
Staff Reporter

Delaware and Maryland residents living near the water may soon have to deal with more than mosquitos and annoying insects -- 15 pound rat-like creatures known to live near marshlands.

"I saw one the other day," said Bob Schaller a resident of Muskrat Town Road in Bishopville, Md. "I could see the entire thing. It looked like a big, fat rat from a monster movie."

And he is not the only Eastern Shore resident who has sighted a nutria. The large rodents -- which hail from South America -- have been spotted near the shore in both Maryland and Delaware.

Verena Chase, from Berlin, Md., is an environmental engineer who has headed-up a nutria detection study in Worcester County, Md. through a grant from the Maryland Coastal Bays.

Chase received a $3,000 grant Coastal Bays Program for her nutria survey project, an on-foot hunt for markings, droppings and sightings of the animal itself, which blends the physical features of a rat, a squirrel and a hamster. Chase says she and volunteers will canvas several areas close to the coastal bays.

In an attempt to caution residents and locate these creatures, she distributed a survey throughout the county on July 25 -- a move that caused some concern among residents.

The Survey

It was through that study and her own observations that she concluded nutria are not a problem at the present time but a close eye should be kept on area marshlands.

The survey spanned Worcester County and because these creatures are semi-aquatic, her study focused on water-lined areas.

"I walked every shoreline or ditch that I could find," Chase said. "The creeks, I surveyed by kayaks, looking for habitat changes."

Although Chase did not detect any nutria during her four-month long study, she said she is confident they will overpopulate the area if the situation is not monitored.

The Origin

According to Steve Kenbrot, district supervisor for the United States Department of Agriculture and Wildlife Services, nutria were brought to the United States from South America in the 1930's to establish an alternative fur market.

"The muskrat population was going through a down cycle and they thought they could replace the muskrat," Kenbrot said.

Unfortunately, they created a monster. Since that time, the nutria population has increased dramatically, creating a major problem for the environment and the economy.

An encroaching threat

Nutria recently wreaked havoc on wetlands at the Blackwater Refuge in Dorchester County, Md.

Nutria devour the roots of marsh plants, exposing the mudflats to erosion and robbing smaller animals of places to hide from predators. Implications ripple up and down the food chain, affecting eagles and other species on the Eastern Shore.

Kenbrot said the county started an eradication project in September 2002 in an effort to save those wetlands.

"We've covered 75 to 100 thousand acres of federal state and private land," he said. "We've taken 9,500 nutria in the process."

He said Dorchester County has lost up to 8,000 acres of marshland because of te rodents.

He said $1 million of the state's budget is allocated towards this effort. Seventeen full-time employees track the infested areas.

"We have a recurring monitoring program where we go and look back at areas that we have already depopulated.

Residents voice concerns

Many residents -- especially pet-owners -- are disturbed by the thought of these creatures making a home in their back yards.

Schaller said he had not seen a nutria until recently.

"The grass was deep and it stuck its nose out and I got a good look at it," he said. "Four days after I saw it, I got the flyer in the mail.

Schaller, an avid cat lover, said nutria increase the danger his cats already face outdoors.

"Most of the time they won't bite off more than they can chew," he said. "Cats usually keep rodents away but I worry about the outdoor cats with these things running around."

According to Chase, these animals will not attack unless they are cornered. She said they are not harmful to humans or their pets.

Environmental Impacts

Nutria may not pose a threat to domesticated animals, but they do create problems for those in the wild.

Nutria make their homes on shorelines and are competing with muskrats for territory, officials said.

In addition, they also displace stationary and migratory birds.

"They change the habitat a great deal because they feed on marsh grasses and that causes erosion," Chase said. "The destroy the habitat of blue crabs, clams and some fish that are getting their young in the marshes."

Economic Impacts

According to Chase, an overpopulation of nutria will negatively affect the economy.

She projects the overall losses could exceed $35 million dollars annually.

As the nutria create their habitat, marsh land is destroyed, making it difficult for area waterman to make a living.

"Blue crabs are dependent on marsh lands," Chase said. "They live there and spawn there and if the marsh is gone because of erosion, you can't get them anymore."

John Fabryka, a commercial fisherman in Ocean View, said he is worried that nutria could negatively impact his livelihood.

"The bank is being eaten away at the head of White's Creek," he said. "That is the first I've ever run into them."

Fabryka said he was not aware nutria were in the Delaware area until recently. "It's going to affect navigational things mostly for me because it would make it hard to get around," he said. "If they come here in large numbers they could be a problem."

Solutions

Jonathan Schafler, a refuge manager at Primehook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton, said nutria aren't a problem in Delaware yet but officials are keeping close tabs on the situation.

"We do have several but it's not a problem over here," he said.

Schafler said precautions are being taken to prevent this invasive species from taking over the wetlands.

"A team came in with specially trained dogs to find nutria," he said. "They found none but we do the study annually."

Chase said when nutria are found, they are trapped and killed.

According to Chase, most residents were unaware that nutria existed.

She said she hopes the survey has opened eyes and encouraged residents to report future sightings before these animals take over ecosystem.