Giant orange-toothed rodent causing concern on canal is ‘probably just an otter’
REPORTS of an orange-toothed large rodent swimming around in a Dublin canal have put fear into many residents.
However, experts in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) believe it is more likely the animal is an otter as opposed to a coypu.
Yesterday, the department stressed it was treating the report as an “unconfirmed sighting” as “no photograph was submitted”. The rodent was reportedly seen near the Ashtown area of the Royal Canal close to Castleknock.
However, NPWS experts say this area is well known for sightings of otters. The coypu is similar to a “bulky otter” but has a “rat-like tail”.
A coypu is a large semiaquatic rodent and can be up to a metre long and weigh up to 9kg. It has bright orange teeth and can also carry a number of diseases harmful to humans and domestic animals.
“Confirmed breeding of coypu in the wild has only been reported from one location – outside Cork city in 2017/2018. Ten animals were removed from that location. They were trapped in cages and dispatched humanely. The corpses are undergoing genetic testing in UCC in an attempt to identify the origins of the animals,” a spokesperson said. The department said the coypu was “a listed invasive alien species”, and Ireland was obliged under EU Regulations on Invasive Species to eradicate it from the wild.