Merlin hasn't heard about nugs either, so they're in the same boat there!

"At this point, it might be more notable if something new shows up that isn't built around things from different worlds," Merlin remarks. Although, something she said a moment ago...

"Though as for people trying to eat some of the animals, did they kill them to do so?"

It's pure curiosity, no judgment either way. He's noticed the way the wildlife interacts as it is, and has noticed that things like injuries don't work quite the way they ought to.