AFTER ten months in hiding, Colin the Coypu might have finally been ratted out by a local dog walker…
Islander Emma Ward spotted what she believes could be the infamous rodent while walking her dogs along the Five Mile Road on Friday 2 February.
No one was able to confirm whether it was indeed the same coypu who became a local celebrity when he first popped up in Rozel in October 2022.
Affectionately named “Colin” by his fans – or “The Beast from the East” by Islanders less fond of finding giant rodents in their gardens – he was last seen in April 2023.
That means if the animal found yesterday was in fact Colin, he would have survived solo in Jersey’s wilderness for over a year.
If not, then it means that another coypu has somehow completed the treacherous 14-mile swim from France – something that was previously described as a “one-off” by JEP nature correspondent Bob Tompkins.
“I’ve never heard of one making it to the shore alive,” he said after the first confirmed sighting of Colin at the end of 2022.
Ms Ward was convinced that she had finally achieved something many Islanders have only dreamed of: a meeting with Colin.
“It was my little dog who noticed it first; he’s normally the one who will root around for animals.
“I saw him sniffing around something and realised it was a giant rodent.
“Then I thought: ‘It’s Colin the Coypu!’”
Ms Ward moved her dogs away from the rodent, which she described as “very scared”, and then called the JSPCA who came and took him away.
“He looked a bit poorly,” she said. “For him to be out in plain sight suggests that something must be wrong.”
Ms Ward said she was concerned about what will happen to the rodent, as they are not native to the Island.
“He deserves a chance to have a little life,” she said.
“Just because he’s not from here, why can’t we find him a home?
“All animals deserve respect.”
Yesterday afternoon, a spokesperson for the JSPCA confirmed that the animal had been passed to the government’s Environment Department at Howard Davis Farm “to ensure the necessary protocols can be followed with regards to ensuring safety for any individuals treating it and the animal itself”.
Coypus
Originating in South America, coypus were later introduced to France and parts of the UK, primarily by fur farmers.
They can grow to be a metre long, and weigh up to 10kg.
The creatures are commonly found in estuaries and beaches on the French peninsula. There are coypu colonies in the Rance river, which flows into the sea between St Malo and Dinard.
