Nutria: From Invasive Pest to a Highly Sought-After Delicacy – The Unexpected Twist in Korea
Just a few years ago, nutria was nothing more than an ecological nightmare in Korea.
They burrowed into riverbanks, devastated wetlands, and destroyed rice paddies. Farmers cursed them, environmentalists feared them, and the government struggled to control them.
In an effort to curb their growing numbers, the Korean government offered a 5,000 KRW ($5) bounty for every nutria caught. The idea was simple: incentivize hunters and trappers to remove as many as possible.
But there was just one problem…
There were too many nutria.
Despite the bounty program, their population showed no signs of decline.
Frustrated, the government decided to take a more scientific approach, funding university research to find a more effective way to eradicate them.
And that’s when everything changed.
The Game-Changing Discovery
Researchers analyzing nutria bile made a surprising discovery.
It contained ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), the same key component found in bear bile (웅담, ungdam)—a prized ingredient in traditional medicine.
When the study was published, word spread like wildfire.
“Wait… so nutria bile is just like bear bile?”
“That means it must be good for you!”
For years, bear bile had been a highly valued ingredient in traditional medicine, believed to promote liver health and detoxification.
It was expensive and difficult to obtain, but now, suddenly, there was a cheaper, abundant alternative right in the wild.
The Unexpected Nutria Bile Craze
In what can only be described as an overnight phenomenon, nutria bile became the new health trend.
People who had never even heard of nutria before were suddenly out in the countryside, looking to get their hands on them.
But what shocked everyone was how some people chose to consume it…
They drank it raw.
Yes, just like with bear bile, some believed that drinking nutria bile raw would provide the best health benefits.
“If it’s medicine, you shouldn’t cook it! The raw bile is the most potent!”
But there was a huge problem—nutria live in wetland environments, making them highly susceptible to parasites.
The government quickly issued a public health warning:
“Do NOT consume raw nutria bile. There is a high risk of parasitic infection. If you must consume it, make sure to cook it first.”
However, for some, the warning only added to the mystique of nutria bile.
If the government was telling them not to drink it raw, it must mean it’s really powerful—or so they thought.
And Then… The Nutria Started Disappearing
What happened next was completely unexpected.
In the span of just a few years, the nutria population—once considered uncontrollable—plummeted.
The same government that once paid people to hunt them now found that… there weren’t many left to catch.
Environmental agencies, once overwhelmed by the nutria problem, were left scratching their heads.
“Where did they all go?”
The answer was simple: People had consumed them into near extinction.
“We tried everything—bounties, research, trapping programs—and nothing worked. But tell people something is ‘good for their health,’ and suddenly, the problem solves itself.”
It was the ultimate irony.
For years, the government had spent millions trying to control nutria populations with little success.
In the end, it wasn’t science, policy, or environmental campaigns that did the job.
It was human appetite.
The Power of the Market: How Demand Outpaced Supply
At one point, nutria bile was in such high demand that people were willing to pay top dollar for it.
What was once an unwanted pest had suddenly become a prized commodity.
Trappers who once handed over nutria for 5,000 KRW each realized they could make way more money selling the bile directly.
This fueled an even greater hunting effort, and before long, nutria became increasingly rare.
“We were paying people to remove them, and now they’re selling for a premium? How did this happen?”
In some regions, nutria populations were nearly wiped out.
Government officials, once desperate to remove them, now faced a new question:
“Should we… bring them back?”
For a brief moment, there was talk of reintroducing nutria in certain areas—something that would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier.
Conclusion: A Lesson in Supply, Demand, and Ecology
The story of nutria in Korea is a perfect example of how human nature can be the most powerful tool in environmental management.
- Government policies and bounties didn’t work. But the moment people thought nutria bile was a health elixir, the problem solved itself.
- The demand for “natural medicine” wiped out what eradication programs couldn’t.
- People didn’t just control the nutria population—they made them nearly extinct.
So, what’s the lesson here?
If you ever have a problem with an invasive species… just convince people that it’s good for their health.
Because if it’s “good for you,” humans will do what governments and scientists never could.