Neuty the nutria, viral pet rodent whose family fought a state to keep him, dies of cancer

"Condolences have poured in for a Louisiana couple who successfully battled wildlife authorities to keep their domesticated nutria as a pet, watched the semi-aquatic rodent appear on cable news and accumulate a social media following tens of thousands strong, and then endured the animal's recent death from cancer."

"Neuty passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday morning on one of his favorite rugs, the announcement read. We are devastated and our hearts hurt. It's our kinship': can Australia learn to coexist with dingoes? One reply to the post that was representative of the various others said: What an exceptional creature he was, with the very best family! He'll be so dearly missed."

"The uniquely south-eastern Louisiana saga of Neuty began on Christmas Eve 2020, when he was a days-old baby and the Lacostes found him on the side of a road divided by a drainage canal in their home town, the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. Some of his siblings had just been fatally struck by a car. And it seemed he would have died as well, as the Guardian reporting partner WWL Louisiana has previously written."

"Resembling more diminutive capybaras, nutrias are considered to be part of an invasive species. The beaver-like creatures notoriously damage everything from the state's crops and its marshes to its fragile coastline. But Denny Lacoste told the outlet that Neuty won his heart on sight. The seafood purveyor gave Neuty pet milk for several weeks and potty-trained him to a healthy weight upwards of 20lbs (9kg), and the animal essentially became a family member."

A Louisiana couple, Denny and Myra Lacoste, announced the death of their domesticated nutria, Neuty, on Instagram. Neuty died peacefully in his sleep Saturday morning on a favorite rug. The nutria had gained a large social media following after appearing on cable news. Neuty was found on Christmas Eve 2020 as a days-old baby near a drainage canal in Metairie, after some siblings were killed by a car. Nutrias are invasive and can damage crops, marshes, and fragile coastlines. The couple fed him pet milk, potty-trained him, and treated him as family. Wildlife authorities later attempted to confiscate Neuty, but the couple fought to keep him. Neuty’s death followed a cancer diagnosis.

Read at www.theguardian.com