Coypu
Nutria, River rat
Coypu, otherwise known as Nutria or River rat, is a large, semi-aquatic rodent. In spite of being a separate species, the animal is sometimes mistaken for a beaver or otter. These rodents are 'a boon and a bane', in a sense that they are both beneficial and detrimental. Thus, endemic to South America, these animals were introduced to the British Isles in the late 1940s. Since then, they have been farmed, playing an important role in the fur industry due to the rich and soft under-layer of their fur. In the meantime, they have destroyed thousands of acres of marshlands. Nowadays, their coat continues to be used in fur industry, though this species is notorious as pest.
