▁out ▁their ▁nut ria ▁even ▁before ▁Mc Il hen ny ▁had ▁begun ▁his ▁operations ▁from ▁locally ▁acquired ▁stock . ▁Another ▁nut ria ▁farm ▁was ▁also ▁begun ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁in ▁St . ▁Bernard ▁Par ish ▁from ▁where ▁Mc Il hen ny ' s ▁first ▁nut ria ▁were ▁obtained ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Mc Il hen ny ' s ▁nut ria ▁farm ▁quickly ▁grew ▁too ▁large ▁for ▁their ▁one - acre ▁pen ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁surprised ▁both ▁by ▁their ▁pro l ific ▁bre eding ▁and ▁the ▁difficulties ▁in ▁conf ining ▁them ▁to ▁their ▁pens . ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁he ▁fre ed ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁nut ria . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁released ▁all ▁his ▁nut ria , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁help ▁establish ▁a ▁fur ▁industry ▁in ▁Louisiana . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁state ▁and ▁federal ▁ag encies ▁advoc ated ▁these ▁releases . ▁They ▁believed ▁nut ria ▁would ▁provide ▁a ▁prof itable ▁new ▁fur ▁resource ▁and ▁help ▁manage ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁over ly ▁abund ant ▁plants ▁such ▁as ▁water ▁hy ac inth ▁and ▁all ig ator ▁we ed . ▁ ▁After ▁these ▁releases , ▁the ▁fer al ▁population ▁became ▁un man age able , ▁and ▁its ▁over wh el ming ly ▁harm ful ▁impact ▁on ▁Louisiana ' s ▁wet lands ▁became ▁apparent . ▁N ut ria ▁feed ▁on ▁veget ation ▁that ▁is ▁cru cial ▁to ▁sust aining ▁Louisiana ' s ▁coast line ▁and ▁protect ing ▁the