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Nutria rodents pile up along the shore after Hurricane Isaac went through Waveland, Mississippi, August 31, 2012.
Credits: REUTERS/MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER
Stay away from the beaches of Mississippi -- unless you want to see tens of thousands of exploding and decaying rats.
Cleanup crews wearing haz-mat suits continued working Thursday to dispose of around 20,000 nutria - also known as swamp rats - that washed ashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac.
Beaches in two counties remain closed to visitors.
"We're not saying it's contaminated, but there's always the possibility that it has affected the water quality," said Brian Adam, of the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency, as quoted in the Jackson Clarion Ledger newspaper.
The semi-aquatic rodents reproduce quickly and are considered an invasive species.
Rotting carcasses have made some workers so sick, they quit. Along with the odour, the rats are bursting as they decay.
"As they're picking them up, they're busting open," Hancock County Supervisor David Yarborough told the Sun Herald. "They're getting the job done. They're equipped, but there's people who can't take the sight of something like this."
The cleanup is expected to take several more days.
