In the 1970s a story occurred, one of many, where the man tried to modify the ecosystem of an island and it went completely wrong, so much so that It took them half a century to solve it.. However, among the stories with the sending of a “solution” to an enclave as the protagonist, good to annihilate, good for repopulatingfew like the one that occurred 70 years ago in an area of the Caucasus. Unlike the story from Japan, here there is still no way to solve it.
Introduction: Soviet ecological ambition. About the 1920s, the Soviet zoologist Nikolai Vereshchagin undertook an ambitious project to “reanimate” and repopulate the fauna of the Caucasus. The idea seemed simple: introduce non-native species. Inspired by the desire to restore ecosystems and provide economic benefits through hunting and the fur trade, Vereshchagin brought animals from different parts of the worldconfident that they would thrive in the mountains and wetlands of Azerbaijan.
Apparently, through his investigations and his book “The Mammals of the Caucasus”Vereshchagin documented the constant change in the region and argued in favor of what would become known as “acclimatization”: a species adaptation strategy that sought to enrich local biodiversity, even if over time it proved to have… let’s say, unintended effects.
The coypu: from Soviet experiment to invader. And of all Vereshchagin’s most notable experiments, one is written in capital letters with the introduction of the coypualso known as otter or river rat, a species of giant rodent native to South America. Were 213 copies brought to the region, which quickly adapted and thrived in the wetlands of Azerbaijan.
Because? Originally, the coypus They were brought for the quality of their skins, used in the making of luxury coats and hats. However, what began as a resource exploitation project soon became an ecological problem. The reason? Coypus demonstrated a high reproductive capacity and adaptability that allowed them to survive and multiply as if there were no tomorrow without the natural predators of their original habitat.
This rat is a danger. To give us an idea, currently the coypu is considered one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species worldwide. In Azerbaijan, their populations are ubiquitous in wetlands, causing significant environmental damage by destroying native vegetation and competing with native species for space and resources. Additionally, their presence threatens the habitats of endangered birds, such as the cotton-headed duck and Siberian crane, as both depend on these wetlands for their survival.
We are talking about a species whose adults measure approximately 60 cm long and have a 30 cm tail. When fully grown, they weigh as much or more than a Jack Russell terrier. Although they look similar to the capybara (the largest rodent in the world), coypu tend to have fewer “followers.” One fact gives an idea: its most notable feature is its protruding teeth, a pair of long, orange incisors that they never stop growing.
Impact on biodiversity. The ecological impact of coypu in Azerbaijan was tremendous over the years, and especially significant due to the natural wealth of the Caucasusa region considered as one of the 25 hotspots of global biodiversity. The creature not only devastated the vegetation in humid areas, but its destructive behavior also affected bird nesting areas. In fact, studies carried out in Italy show that these giant rodents can reach crush nests by resting on themincreasing the risk for local species.
Not only that. The species continued to spread to this day, and from the Caucasus it passed to neighboring countries, which has made its management even more complicated. The lack of a detailed study on the size and distribution of their populations in Azerbaijan poses all kinds of additional obstacles for environmentalists, who do not have a solid basis for developing mitigation strategies.
Management and reward programs. Today, and in response to the uncontrolled expansion of the species, some experts suggest implementing reward programs for capture, an idea similar to those that have been effective in enclaves of the United States such as Louisiana, where it is offered a payment for each coypu queue delivered. However, others warn that these programs, while temporarily reducing populations, can result in commercial hunts that do not completely eradicate the species.
In this regard, the proposal to reestablish a reward system, in force in Soviet times, is viewed favorably by organizations such as WWF Azerbaijan. However, the current system of fees and penalties in the country, which even requires hunters to pay additional payments for “environmental damage,” discourages coypus hunting. Therefore, there is a clear contrast with other countries where the reduction of invasive populations is actively encouraged.
Lessons learned and future. Like so many other similar stories with the “hand” of man throughthe story of coypu in Azerbaijan is a reminder of the risks of introducing foreign species without very careful planning and long-term impact assessment. Although no one doubts that the projects of Vereshchagin and his contemporaries were based on good intentions, the collateral effects of their decisions have been tremendous for the region’s biodiversity.
Today, environmentalists like Zulfu Farajli told the BBC who advocate for greater public awareness of the impact of coypus on local ecosystems, as well as more effective management policies. Ultimately, the case of this creature in Azerbaijan highlights the importance of developing a conservation approach based on science and sustainability, ensuring that ecosystems can recover and thrive without the threat of invasive species.
Hopefully, the solution will never be a giant rat, please.
Image | Peter Trimming, Khagani Hasanov1988
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