A COYPU found on the beach in St Ouen’s Bay last week was so badly injured it had to be euthanised, the government has said.
The rodent, which may or may not have been Colin the Coypu – who became a minor local celebrity after being spotted in gardens in the east of the Island in the autumn of 2022 – was taken to the Environment Department’s Howard Davis Farm on Friday after being spotted by a dog walker.
Yesterday, the Infrastructure and Environment Department confirmed that the giant rat-like creature had been “put to sleep on welfare grounds”.
They added: “We understand that Islanders have taken the coypu to their hearts, but we continue to advise against approaching these rodents as they frequently carry rabies, salmonella and tuberculosis.
“If anyone spots a coypu rodent they should call the Natural Environment team on 441600.”
Originating in South America, coypus were introduced to France and parts of the UK, primarily by fur farmers. Several have washed up dead on the Island’s coast in recent years after apparently being flushed into the sea from their home on the banks of the River Rance, which flows into the Channel between St Malo and Dinard.
