A family in Metairie, Louisiana was issued a citation last week because they had a wild animal as a pet…specifically, a nutria rat. The Louisiana State Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said that state law made it illegal to keep the giant rodent they found on the side of the road in 2020, and he had to be surrendered to the Baton Rouge zoo.
After an impressive amount of bad press for the agency, the department has worked out a deal with the Lacoste family, who have now applied for a special permit that will let “Neuty” stay with them under certain conditions.
Nutria is considered an invasive species, reaching anywhere from nine to 20 pounds in weight.
Source: WWL