Chances are you’ve never heard of the coypu. When most think of fur felt hats, they typically think of beaver fur felt. But, there is arguably a better choice!

A sustainable alternative to their cousin the beaver, coypu (nutria) is a highly invasive aquatic rodent that poses a great threat to wetland vegetation and mangrove forests. 

Imported to Louisiana and other states in the 1930s, coypu (nutria) were initially raised on fur farms for their lustrous pelts. When a few escaped into the wild, their population quickly exploded into an invasive army the destroys wetlands by eating marsh grasses and burrowing into levees and bayou-sides. The rodents continue to impact over 6,200 acres of coastal wetlands each year.

Beavers are native and crucial keystone species in many ecosystems and disrupting their populations can have devastating ecological consequences. The qualities of Coypu fur are strikingly similar to those of beaver. Both animals have a very oily fur that helps repel water, which provides Coypu fur felt hats with excellent water repellence.