The National Biodiversity Data Centre Ireland (NBDC) have urged people to report any suspicious sightings of a rat-like semi-aquatic rodent known as a coypu.

The ‘invasive alien species’ was recently reported to be roaming Dublin canals, but experts now believe the sighting may have been of an otter.

But the NBDC have asked members of the public nationwide to continue to report any suspected sightings to their data centre.

“If you see anything suspicious, let us know. Even if we can’t confirm a sighting, several reports from independent sources would point towards something that warrants further investigation,” said Colette O’Flynn, Invasive Species Officer at the NBDC.

The coypu, which is not a native animal to Ireland, has a negative impact on vegetation, undermines the banks of rivers and dykes and has been shown to carry a number of diseases.

They can be up to one metre in length, have dark fur with lighter ends and webbed hind feed. Their most distinctive feature is their large, bright orange-yellow front teeth.

The first coypus in Ireland were sighted in 2010 and have since been reported from 7 different locations. The biggest find was the sighting of 10 animals from Curraheen River in Cork City.

Ms O’Flynn said: “In 2016 somebody took photos of four of the animals and it turned out they were actually coypus. That triggered an immediate response and the animals were removed from the river.”

Other confirmed sightings of the rodent have been reported from Limerick and Tipperary.

Recently reported sightings from Dublin’s Royal Canal could not be confirmed to be coypus.

“There was an unconfirmed report of a coypu sighting, but there was no evidence found that there were any coypus living in the area,” said Katrina McGirr from Waterways Ireland.

She added: “There are several otters living in the area. Since there was no evidence found that would lead us to believe anything else, we concluded that it must have been one of the local otters.”

Colette O’Flynn stressed the importance of monitoring the rodents in order to keep them from damaging flora and fauna.

“There are big concerns with coypus potentially spreading in Ireland. There haven’t been any confirmed sightings at the Royal Canal but we had other sightings from the Dublin area that sounded highly suspicious by their descrption.”

She urged people to keep an eye open and to contact the NBDC if they see anything suspicious.

“If you see an unusual animal, describe it to us in detail. Also try to take a photo if possible, so we have a better chance of identifying the species.”

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