Published: September 05, 2008 08:45 am      

State, Hancock Co. to remove animals

WAVELAND, MS — Hundreds of dead Nutria, victims of Hurricane Gustav, have washed up on the beach in Waveland.

Officials with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality say they will work with Hancock County to remove the dead animals.

Some of the dead animals are floating in the water about 1 1-2 miles from the Silver Slipper Casino.

Wildlife officials say Nutria arrived in Louisiana from South America in the 1900s and were raised by commercial farmers for their fur but they can damage freshwater marches.

When Hurricane Audrey hit Louisiana in 1957, the nutria escaped and repopulated quickly.

Officials say Nutria repopulate rather quickly, producing two litters of four or five babies a year.