Though they’re often seen as invaders, “alien” animals didn’t choose their current status or situation. Practically without exception, unwanted, unwelcome, “exotic” or “alien” animals were brought to this country by humans or followed some anthropogenic path (on a ship or along a freeway median), usually into some freshly human-degraded habitat.

In the case of the nutria, the now reviled aquatic rodent was brought into this country from South America to live as captives for the fur trade, after trappers had nearly decimated all the indigenous muskrat and beaver. How soon people forget history when they decide to label an animal a “pest” and call for their extermination when said species has successfully adapted to their new surroundings. Instead they use exotic species to justify the continued cruelty of trapping, snaring and sometimes gassing or poisoning.

One self-promoter even wrote a hip pro-hunting book called, “Eating Aliens,” in the vein of idiotic reality TV shows like “Duck Dynasty” or “Swamp People.” I’ve had more folks contact me to purchase the rights to use my nutria photos in their publications than any other species in my files, but I always end up having to turn them down after asking them what their article is going to be about.

I don’t allow my photos to be used in any publication that promotes lethal “control” of some poor animal who is a victim of human expansion. The producers of Swamp “People” found that out when I refused to let them use this nutria photo on their stupid show…

Text and Wildlife Photography ©Jim Robertson, 2013. All Rights Reserved