The department of Agriculture of Washington has ordered shoot-at-sight for nutria found around Olympia, WA's Capitol Lake. This move comes as a timely measure being taken up to avoid these rodents fully taking over the state's lake.

Explaining the situation, Curt Hart of Washington's Department of Enterprise Services said nutria population needs to be kept in check as they can displace plant and affect the native animal species of the region. Further, they can carry many diseases around the lake.

"They can displace native animal and plant species. They can carry diseases", said Curt Hart of Washington's Department of Enterprise Services.

They also have the tendency to damage roads and bridges as these beaver-sized animals that originated in South America are known for burrowing even under roadbeds and structures.

To avoid all these situations the state the U. S. Department of Agriculture has paid $5,000 to shoot and kill as much nutria as the two-person crew can find.

Around 40 nutrias, which have orange teeth and white whiskers, are expected to live around the lake. This immediate drive to check their population is necessary as according to researchers nutria species can reproduce at rapid speed as a female nutria can give birth to as many as 13 offspring at a time and once a section of them are released into the wild, the situation can easily go out of control.

Till now the Federal wildlife agents have killed just one of the swimming rodents after the first week of after-dark hunting of the nuisance animals.