Nutria: From Invasive Pest to a Highly Sought-After Delicacy – The Unexpected Twist in Korea

ByDr. K

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…

Transforming an Invasive Pest into a Health Solution: Nutria as a Sustainable Source of Natural UDCA

ByDr. K

(Nutria | FWS.gov) A nutria (Myocastor coypus) in a U.S. wetland, showing its characteristic large orange incisors. Nutria are invasive, semi-aquatic rodents that have become a serious ecological threat in the United States (FS-WS-NutriaAnInvasiveRodent-4.10.20.R3.indd). Paradoxically, these pests may also serve a beneficial purpose as a sustainable source of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a valuable bile acid…