The coipú, one of the 100 most harmful invasive species in the world, is at the gates of Barcelona

You can remember the Castor or the musk, but Coipú is something else. Coming from South America, this rodent is “similar to a large rat of small ears, with the end of the snout and white cheeks.” It has the “robust and arched” body, the fur “of brown” and can exceed 60 cm long and 6 and a half kilos of weight.

In addition, in Spain, it is an invasive species. An invasive species that does not stop growing.

What does a mouse like you in a place like this? To Catalonia, According to the Ecological Research Center and Forest Applicationsthey were first introduced at the beginning of the 20th century with the intention of raising them to take advantage of their skin. And, although there are documented farm leaks since the 70s, only since 2000 (when a new source of coipús appeared: France) began to expand from Empordá.

The problem is that they have now detected in the Congost river. That is, they are at the gates of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona and everything suggests that they will end up arriving.

Because? Because “Coipú has a high fertility, so when it reaches areas with a climate favorable and with food, as it has found in Catalonia, its expansion is unlikely,” Marc Riera explainsCREAF researcher.

Moreover, Barcelona would only be the beginning. “This situation causes coipu to extend through the Catalan coast” and reach “to the Valencian Community.”

And what exactly is the problem? That is what many people ask. After all, we talk about a harmless rodent. However, its impact on the environment is very documented: “Coipú is having a serious impact on the wet areas of all the countries to which it has reached.”

And it is not only that it competes with the rest of species for resources such as food, it “causes impacts on the plant species of the places where it lives and in the nearby crops, since it feeds on the base of the stems of the plants and excavates to also reach the roots. “

In fact, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included it in the list of 100 more harmful exotic species in the world.

Spain in front of Coipú. The real problem, as explained from CreafIt is that “unfortunately, once an exotic species becomes an invader in a territory, its total eradication is practically impossible.”

Above all, because we must be clear that the coipú will not be the last species that reaches our territory and threatens to put all ups up. In a context in The illegal introductions of animals are the order of the day It seems clear that we must reflect on how we are managing exotic species and what means we are putting to control the new world scenario.

Image | Peleg | Exocat

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