Nutria alarm in Hamburg: hunting permits and double bonus!

Nutria alarm in Hamburg: hunting permits and double bonus!

There is currently intensive discussion in Hamburg about the growing nutria population. The city has decided to expand the fight against this invasive species to several parts of the city. In addition to Altona, Eimsbüttel, North and Wandsbek should now also be given greater focus. Hunting tenants have the opportunity to set traps specifically in these areas and hire additional wardens. These measures are necessary because sightings of the nutrias, which often appear near the Alster, Wandse, Kollau as well as in parks and cemeteries, have increased significantly. These animals are also known to cause damage to riverbanks and natural habitats. The city has even doubled the “tail bonus” for hunting nutrias to 14 euros in order to motivate hunters to get the population under control. moin.de reports that this is part of a broader strategy to keep the invasive rodents under control.

Nature and animal protection are also important aspects of this debate. Jennifer Jasberg from the Green Party warns against overdramatizing the dangers posed by nutrias. In their opinion, these animals are almost not dangerous to humans. Opinions vary widely on social media. While some Hamburg residents have had positive experiences with the nutrias and reject the hunt, others criticize the measures as cruel and unnecessary. The discussion reveals a clear division within the population regarding the need to hunt these animals.

The Nutria: A Look at the Animal

The nutria, also known as the beaver rat, is a striking rodent native to South America. It has characteristic features such as long, orange incisors, webbed hind feet and white whiskers. They have been widespread in Hamburg since the mid-1990s and are popular in the Bergedorf and Harburg districts. But their population is subject to strong fluctuations, caused by both climatic and human influences such as feeding by citizens. Feeding can lead to a high density of animals, which in turn causes damage to gardens and riparian areas. Rats also benefit from this unrestricted food source hamburg.de.

Nutrias are spreading rapidly in Germany. Recent data shows that they occur in 35% of the hunting areas surveyed, which represents a doubling since 2015. In Hamburg the attendance rate is even 74%. This increase is not without consequences: Nutrias are digging through dikes, which endangers flood protection and can threaten other animal species in their habitat. Their feeding behavior also means that reed areas, which are vital for many insects, amphibians and fish, are severely decimated. The German Wildlife Foundation emphasizes that nutrias not only cause ecological problems, but that damage to dikes can also result in high repair costs tagesschau.de.

The city of Hamburg appeals to citizens to refrain from feeding the nutrias in order not to worsen the problem. Reports of animal sightings can be submitted by residents on the website neobiota-hamburg.de in order to get a better picture of the distribution of nutrias in Hamburg.

The discussion about the nutria shows how different opinions on this topic are among the population. The fact is, however, that the city wants to take active action against the spread of nutrias, and the coming weeks could be crucial in determining how this strategy is received. Tensions between nature conservation, animal-friendly actions and the need for flood protection remain high, and it remains to be hoped that a consensus can be found that does justice to both people and nature.