Giant ‘river rats’ are causing chaos in Prague — how did they get there?

Petting ample rodents the size of Border Terriers is – controversially – not connected Metro’s ‘best things to bash successful Prague’ list. Yet immoderate radical inactive bash it.

Tourists successful the Czech superior often travel look to look with nutria, the ample semiaquatic rodents autochthonal to South America that look similar a bizarre transverse betwixt a rat and a capybara.

Some mistake them for beavers and connection a funny pat, portion others flee, convinced they are giant, disease-ridden rats.

Recognised by their orangish beforehand teeth and rat-like tails, the mammals, besides named copyu, tin beryllium seen on the Vltava River that splits the metropolis successful two.

One tourer shared her enactment with a nutria connected TikTok, writing: ‘Petting the elephantine h2o rats successful Prague reasoning they were affable beavers.’

She tin beryllium seen offering her manus to pat the carnal arsenic it rests its caput and paw connected her palm.

A formation on the waterfront is, for example, truthful infested with nutrias that it is officially named connected Google Maps arsenic ‘Nutria Beach’.

One of the reviews, posted conscionable a fewer months ago, reads: ‘Loved this small beach… Swan and capybara are adorable (and they aren’t acrophobic of humans) and easy made this acquisition 1 of the highlights successful Prague.’

Another tourer travelling with his household confused the mammals for otters and recommended to radical to bring vegetables to provender them.

‘You tin spot aged ladies bringing them food, the otters are precise friendly, we were with my woman for much than 2 hours watching them devour and swim,’ the station connected Google said.

A fewer radical had caught up connected the information that the animals were not otters, simply writing,’ Not otter…’

Anotherperson commented: ‘Yes. Nutria look there. They are not acrophobic of people. A cool, escaped attraction successful Prague.’

Originally from South America, the taxon was brought to Europe successful the 19th period for their fur and meat. 

Weighing up to 9 kg and measuring implicit fractional a metre successful length, nutrias person since dispersed crossed the continent, thriving successful wetlands and rivers.

While successful South America they are considered harmless, Polish authorities person antecedently warned radical against getting adjacent to them.

The animals often unrecorded with rats, and tin dispersed diseases. Their bites tin besides beryllium heavy owed to the magnitude of their teeth.

Over the past respective years, aggregate attacks by nutrias person bee reported.

Previously, Václav Nejman, an adept from the Forests of the Capital City, pointed retired the unsafe symbiosis of assorted rodents.

‘We often spot mothers with children. They deliberation that they are feeding the nutria,’ helium said.

‘But sometimes it’s conscionable 1 nutria surrounded by rats. So determination are truly bizarre situations.’

Get successful interaction with our quality squad by emailing america astatine webnews@metro.co.uk.

For much stories similar this, check our quality page.

MORE: This food with elephantine ‘filler lips’ is earnestly acceptable for their close-up

MORE: Chinese zoo’s ‘barking’ tigers are conscionable Chow Chows painted orangish and black

MORE: Map shows wherever vertebrate flu prevention portion is declared successful UK aft cases rise