Nutria At Wal-Mart

Original story.

NEW ORLEANS – Wal-Mart has been sued a lot over the years. Now a Louisiana woman is seeking damages because she claims a Wal-Mart store let a large rodent run loose.

The animal was a nutria, a beaver-like creature. Rebecca White says employees at a Wal-Mart in Abbeville not only knew it was in their store but gave it a pet name, Norman, and failed to warn shoppers.

White's lawsuit says she was pushing a full shopping cart down an aisle when the nutria ran out from behind a rack. She says she pulled the cart toward her in a panicked attempt at protection and injured her back and foot. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest retailer, has been a frequent target of lawsuits. The Bentonville, Ark.,-based company said it has not seen the nutria lawsuit but is investigating.

I don't know whether to laugh or not, but I do have one issue with the story. Nutria are not "beaver-like". They are "rat-like" as anyone who has seen one can tell you.