Neuty the nutria, viral pet rodent whose family fought a state to keep him, dies of cancer

Condolences have poured in for a Louisiana couple who successfully battled wildlife authorities to keep their domesticated nutria as a pet, watched the semi-aquatic rodent appear on cable news and accumulate a social media following tens of thousands strong, and then endured the animal’s recent death from cancer.

Denny and Myra Lacoste announced Neuty’s death on Monday on Instagram, where more than 37,000 users followed an account dedicated to documenting the nutria’s life.

“Neuty passed away peacefully in his sleep Saturday morning on one of his favorite rugs,” the announcement read. “We are devastated and our hearts hurt.”

One reply to the post that was representative of the various others said: “What an exceptional creature he was, with the very best family! He’ll be so dearly missed.”

Another came from the popular New Orleans-based brewery Urban South, which said “we always loved having Neuty” at the business.

The uniquely south-eastern Louisiana saga of Neuty began on Christmas Eve 2020, when he was a days-old baby and the Lacostes found him on the side of a road divided by a drainage canal in their home town, the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. Some of his siblings had just been fatally struck by a car. And it seemed he would have died as well, as the Guardian reporting partner WWL Louisiana has previously written.

Resembling more diminutive capybaras, nutrias are considered to be part of an invasive species. The beaver-like creatures notoriously damage everything from the state’s crops and its marshes to its fragile coastline.

But Denny Lacoste told the outlet that Neuty won his heart on sight. The seafood purveyor gave Neuty pet milk for several weeks and potty-trained him to a healthy weight upwards of 20lbs (9kg), and the animal essentially became a family member.

Eventually, though, Neuty’s story received news coverage. Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries department attempted to confiscate Neuty, citing laws governing wild animals. But, met with public outcry and a Change.org petition named “free Neuty” that drew more than 17,000 signatures, the authorities granted permission for the nutria to live with the Lacostes as a pet.

The struggle pitting Neuty and the Lacostes against the government won the rodent a level of social media fame that many influencers would envy. He appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show in April 2023, mere days before the host and the network went their separate ways.