Over the years we have had an on and off struggle with the Coypu or Nutria which live wild as an invasive species here. The little buggers eat the lotuses and irises when the shoots are young and cause the pond to leak by tunnelling into the pond bank. They have damaged the normal fence.
I have a five strand electric fence running along our river “border”. I don’t mind papa Coypu eating the bamboo shoots on the far bank. In general they do not cross the bridge. In winter the Coypu come. Usually in spring and summer there is enough food elsewhere.
This morning as I was emptying the food waste from yesterday into the composters by the green house. I had the thought, “I do not need to check if the Coypu have tried to breach the electric fence…”
I looked over towards the pond and river. There, not more than four metres from me, on the grass between the pond and the greenhouse was a Coypu “hiding” in the grass. Usually when they see me they run and “plop” into the pond. I stood staring at the Coypu and it stared at me. It was sniffing the air. I was making a noise and whistling. It did not move. Was it on ketamine or GHB? Was it a daft Coypu? If I had a rake I could easily twat it.
I went inside to fetch the wife thinking that the little bugger would have moved by the time I got back.
No it was still sat there a couple of minutes later. We looked at it. I clapped and it turned towards the sound. Gandalf the stray cat joined us meowing loudly. The Coypu did not move.
Best guess is that it made it through the electric fence and got shocked in the process. It is now too traumatised to risk it going back into the river.
I don’t want the little bugger making home in the garden
So when I have finished my coffee I will boot up, put my boots on, and try to run the blighter off.
It is an adolescent near maturity, hopefully not female what with randy papa Coypu lurking.
I’ll take the camera with.
It is pretty weird to be close enough to a wild animal to see its nostril flare and stare eye to eye…
It is possible that it is somehow injured…or just frozen with fear…
If we call the hunters they will take a while to get here…with their guns…
Dreamyoga 