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Aug 16, 2023

Junction City residents dealing with unusually

Digital Content Manager JUNCTION CITY, Ore. – Several residents have reported seeing giant rats near their homes in Junction City, and are worried that the rodents of unusual size will start causing

Digital Content Manager

JUNCTION CITY, Ore. – Several residents have reported seeing giant rats near their homes in Junction City, and are worried that the rodents of unusual size will start causing big problems.

Several Junction City residents from all over town posted on social media reporting encounters with oversized rats, with the animals oftentimes causing damage to personal property. One resident identified the alleged giant rats as nutria, a type of rodent that usually lives in water.

They are about the size of beavers and have a similar appearance, but have a long rat-like tail instead of the beaver’s characteristic flat tail. Nutria are able to hold their breath underwater for as long as five minutes, and prefer to live on riverbanks or other wetlands. Nutria like to eat aquatic plants, snails, and according to one Junction City resident, chicken feed.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, nutria are an invasive species in Oregon. As such, they are classified as unprotected nongame wildlife and are legal to trap or shoot, and are illegal to relocate if trapped, the ODFW says. However, many cities have restrictions on leg-hold trapping or shooting firearms within city limits, so ODFW recommends live trapping in cities. Nutria can be aggressive when cornered or captured, and extreme care should be taken when handling captured nutria. Anyone with a captured nutria should contact local animal control authorities or the ODFW.

Digital Content Manager