The Escape!

  While on the last walk of the evening, I heard a bit of loud splashing in the marsh.  This could be one of many things such as an alligator was entering the water, the otters were playing, raccoons were squabbling or the nutria was waking for the night.  I waited just a bit to see if whatever was making the noise would come my way.  Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of a dark figure under the edge of the pier.  Aha!  My friend would soon show itself!  

   At the same time I noticed the critter, it got a scent of me and started to make a great escape!  Out from under the pier, a lone nutria swam in the shallows.  It turned to look a me a moment then headed across the small cut and into a well used path through the marsh.  I had a notion this was the culprit making the large splashes.  Here lately, I have noticed that plenty of the knolls of marsh had their roots gnawed.  That, in itself, is enough indication of a nutria's presence.  Contrary to what most folks think, nutrias are vegans.  They do not raid minnow traps nor crab traps.  In fact, the animals have no interest in much other than the roots of the marsh.  Those, they eat with wild abandon and, given enough of the critters in the area, can ruin much marshland.  

  So far, the nutria population in the Bayou is being kept in check by the alligators that also reside there.  The gators are the main predators of the nutrias so it works out well.  Without that natural balance, the marsh would soon disappear and erosion will take away much of the land.  The gators do their part in keeping things in proper order.  This fat nutria had better watch itself as several nice-sized gators are lurking in the same marsh that it is gnawing!