See One of These 5 Cute Animals Outdoors in Idaho? Report it Immediately

Almost every animal on this list is adorable in one way or another. However, their cute faces will never win over the folks with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. 

That’s because, like the quagga muscles you’ve been seeing all over the news over the last two weeks, these animals are considered an “invasive species.” Invasive species are non-native to Idaho and the ISDA explains that they can “threaten to destroy us.” They say that left unchecked, invasive species may make the Idaho we know and love to be lost forever. 

It sounds dramatic, but the truth is something as small as these muscles can lead to HUGE problems. While addressing the presence of the quagga muscles in the Snake River, Governor Little explained they could cost Idaho millions of dollars if they continue to multiply and clog the pipes we use for drinking water, energy, agriculture and recreation. 

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Each invasive pest affects Idaho in a different way. Some destroy habitats. Others eat Idaho’s native species out of house and home. They may show up in Idaho by tagging along on a watercraft or in shipping materials.  Others may end up in our ecosystem because someone purchased one as a pet and then decided to turn it loose when they didn’t want it anymore. 

That’s why the state will always need your help so that they don’t multiply and destroy everything from the forests and rangelands we love to explore or crops we use to feed Idahoans and export to other states. When you report them, they can step in to help control the spread. Sometimes that means euthanizing the animals. Other times, it means relocating them back to the states where they’re supposed to be. 

So which cute animals don’t they want here? Here are five animals you should report immediately if you see them in the wild in Idaho.