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On the Swampy Trail of the Nutria

NPR | By John Burnett
Published December 2, 2006 at 8:00 AM EST
On nutria hunting nights, it's Ronnie Leblanc's job to retrieve and bag the dead rodents. He is an employee of the Jefferson Parish Drainage Department.
John Burnett, NPR
On nutria hunting nights, it's Ronnie Leblanc's job to retrieve and bag the dead rodents. He is an employee of the Jefferson Parish Drainage Department.

In Louisiana's Jefferson Parish, a hunt for small, furry animals called nutria has become a signature ritual. The hunts are organized by the popular sheriff Harry Lee.

The nutria patrol -- a squad of snipers in camoflauge gear -- cruises the banks of drainage canals looking for the aquatic, South American herbivore with orange incisors, soft fur (the sheriff is said to own a nutria coat) and the ability to nurse its young on its back.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

John Burnett
John Burnett is the Southwest Correspondent on the National Desk.