It started in Girona, but is already in the Montseny. The coypu, one of the largest rodents in the world, is advancing towards Barcelona. This invasive species, present (and expanding) throughout Europe, had already been sighted for some years in Girona, but the latest sightings in the basins of the Tordera and the Congost river, seem to advance its early arrival in Barcelona.
The coypu is a semi-aquatic rodent native to South America and similar to a beaver or a capybara, which reproduces easily and is considered an invasive species because it occupies the space of native species and can transmit their diseases.
Is the coypu a relative of the capybara?
Although it resembles the capybara (one of the most viral animals of recent times), the coypu is not exactly the same. It also belongs to the rodent family, but it is not as large as the capybara (which is the largest rodent in the world) and has a different habitat.
The animal was introduced in Europe in the 19th century for the exploitation of its fur, but has found ideal conditions for its expansion in northeastern Catalonia. However, its rapid growth has caused local experts to warn about the risks of this animal competing for resources with native species, also negatively affecting vegetation and crops, as it feeds on the bases of stems and roots.
Now, experts warn that its rapid expansion will certainly lead it to the waters of the Besós river, since it has no natural predators. Therefore, experts warn of the importance of controlling its population and the difficulty of eradicating it once it has established itself as an invasive species.
In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has decided to include the animal in the list of the 100 most harmful alien species in the world due to its devastating effects on Europe’s wetlands.
With this, Baercelona expands the list of animals that roam the city and show us that, before cement and buildings, here there was also countryside and sea that was owned by the animals of nature.