Wildlife officials are encouraging California residents to add a rodent to their daily diet as part of efforts to control the invasive species’ population. The nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, is threatening the state’s ecosystems by destroying habitats and outcompeting native wildlife. The nutria’s harmful impacts have prompted wildlife officials to promote hunting and consumption as possible solutions. … To mitigate their impact, CDFW has removed about 5,500 nutria from California wetlands as of early February. The highest concentration of these rodents were found in Merced, Fresno, Stanislaus and Solano counties.