Britain was surprised by the appearance of giant rats, bigger than dogs!
Have you ever heard of a rat that is bigger than a dog? It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but in the UK, it's a reality! Recently, a British rat trap captured a giant rat up to 56 centimeters long, which sparked widespread concern and discussion. Not only is this rat surprisingly large, but it is also larger than some small dog breeds. What the hell is going on? Let's unravel this creepy mystery together.
The rat problem in the UK seems to be getting worse. Kieran is a rat catcher in Yorkshire, England, who has eradicated at least 50,000 rats since he started in 2018. Recently, the giant rat he captured was arguably the pinnacle of his career. The rat is 56 centimeters long from head to tail, which is larger than many small dog breeds.
Kieran said that the rats he usually catches are not small, mostly around 46 centimeters. This makes one wonder if all the rats in the UK have eaten hormones? Kieran warned in the media that rats in Britain are "mutating", not only in number, but also in size, and bolder, and no longer afraid of humans and pets.
It sounds like a horror story, but it turns out that Kieran's warning wasn't alarmist. It's not once or twice that the news about giant rats in the UK has been in the news. In County Don, Northern Ireland, for example, residents have captured giant rats. Another rat catcher, Terry Walker, even caught a 48-centimeter big guy.
What's even more exaggerated is that once the length of the rat caught by gas worker James Green reached an astonishing 1.2 meters! However, the reason why this mouse is so big is that it itself belongs to the largest known species of rat in the world – the Gambia has kangaroos. This kind of rat can even be used for mine clearance after training, and it is simply a special soldier in the rat world.
Not only are the rats in the UK getting bigger and bigger, but their numbers are also growing like crazy. A pest control company in London reportedly estimates that there may now be around 250 million rats in the UK. Moreover, their number is growing every year, with the number in 2023 increasing by at least 3% compared to 2021. With so many rats, I feel my scalp tingle just thinking about it.
The more rats there are, the more conflicts between nature and humans there are. Especially around Christmas, many people come back from going out on vacation to find that their homes are overrun by rats. Chocolates were eaten from Christmas trees, wires were bitten, food packages were opened in the kitchen, food was scattered all over the floor, and cabinets were littered with rat bite marks and excrement. This kind of scene is even more terrifying than a horror movie.
Someone filmed a string of rats at a trash can near the church. These rats are not afraid of people or vehicles at all, and they wander leisurely in the garbage cans looking for food, just like in a cafeteria.
Rats are very intelligent animals, and after spending a lot of time with humans, they have learned how to survive in cities. They are becoming bolder and more cunning. Kieran has encountered a particularly cunning rat that takes a fancy to his owner's abandoned vehicle and regularly eats on electrical wiring, trunks and seats.
In order to get rid of the mouse, Kieran moves the car a few hundred meters every day. But no matter where they hide, the rats will always find the car. In the end, the car was left with only a shell, and everything that could be gnawed was gnawed. Kieran suspected that the rat was using the car as a tool for teeth grinding. This is simply the rat version of "Fast and Furious"!
Speaking of which, you may ask, why have the rats in the UK become so big and so much? Could it be that the water and soil abroad are more "rat-raising"?
There are two main explanations given by the official: first, the garbage is not disposed of in a timely manner, providing sufficient food for the rats; The second is that the sewers are poorly maintained, providing an ideal shelter for rats.
In addition to this, other animals in the city, such as foxes, have learned to rummage through garbage cans and unwrap food, the equivalent of a buffet for rats. When you think about it, the life of rats in the UK is really nourishing.
In contrast, we have done a better job in garbage disposal in China. In many places, the trash cans are emptied every day, and there is no long-term retention of garbage. Without the lure of food, rats naturally do not appear in front of people blatantly, and are more likely to hide in places we can't see.
Another key point is the difference in eating habits. Foreign food is generally high in protein and fat, and if you eat too much of this type of food, people are easy to gain weight, and mice will naturally become fat. It seems that not only humans need to pay attention to a healthy diet, but even rats are starting to worry about their bodies.
Although we have done a good job of controlling rats, there is a very contradictory logic in some foreign countries to solve the problem of animal overpopulation: they always want to kill animals mercifully.
In 2023, Wales became the first place in the UK to ban the use of rat traps and glue traps to catch animals, believing it was too cruel and would make rats miserable. As a rat catcher, when Kieran chooses a way to catch rats, he gives priority to his two dogs to catch, and then chooses traps, and is the least willing to use poison.
When setting traps, Kieran tends to use one-hit traps so that rats don't experience any pain. Kieran said that although he is a rat catcher, he has a lot of respect for rats, and all he does is control the numbers, not kill them indiscriminately.
Still, his work has led to death threats and verbal abuse, including against his 4-year-old daughter. It seems that being a rat catcher is so hard!
Faced with this situation, it has been suggested that peaceful coexistence with rats, as Paris has done, may be the best solution. But think of those rats that are bigger than dogs, would you be willing to live peacefully with them?
The rat problem is indeed a global challenge, but the situation in the UK seems to be particularly acute. As an ordinary person, I feel that this question reflects some problems in urban management and environmental protection. On the one hand, we need more efficient waste disposal and urban sanitation management systems; On the other hand, we also need to reflect on whether our lifestyle gives these "uninvited guests" too many opportunities. At the same time, we need to balance the needs of animal welfare and public health when dealing with rats. After all, the Earth is our common home, and we need to learn to live in harmony with other living beings.
What do you think should be done to solve the problem of urban rats? Will more drastic measures be taken, or will a way to live peacefully with rats be sought? Have you ever had an impressive experience with rats? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences!