A river rat, also known as a coypu or nutria, was found by fishermen fishing at a dam in Yenikarpuzlu, a town in western Edirne's İpsala district. Erkan Engin, a fisherman, said that they found a 6 kilogram river rat at the Karpuzlu Dam. The rat is 75 centimeters long. "We saw a live river rat for the first time. When the rat attacked us we made it inactive. It looks like a mouse, but is [much] bigger. If there are any experts willing to study it, we can give them the rat," he said.
The rat, native to South Africa, is believed to have swam to Edirne up the Maritza and Tundzha rivers after escaping from a farm in Bulgaria. Two river rats were previously found dead in Edirne. It is the second time a live river rat has been caught in the city. Mostly raised for their fur, these rats were examined at the Biology Departments of Trakya and Kırklareli Universities.
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