{"id":3432,"date":"2010-08-19T19:46:20","date_gmt":"2010-08-19T19:46:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=3432"},"modified":"2022-10-29T22:11:51","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T21:11:51","slug":"giant-rats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diaryofanadi.co.uk\/?p=3432","title":{"rendered":"Giant Rats"},"content":{"rendered":"

EDIT:<\/strong> There are updates to this story in Giant Rats: II<\/a> and Giant Rats: III & IV<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"SkyThis story has had a lot of radio coverage<\/a> today. It’s also been covered by Sky.<\/p>\n

Apparently, someone in Bradford (I guess it just had to be up Yorkshire way – remember the Beast of Buckshaw<\/a> from that Lancashire village ) shot a giant rat. According to the story, it was 2\u00bd feet (that’s \u00be metre) long – and judging by the picture, that doesn’t include the tail!<\/p>\n

The Sun really does love to confuse things, though. Well, to scaremonger.<\/p>\n

Experts have suggested that it could be a Coypu – a South American rodent (not “rat”), but which is sometimes called a “giant rat”, or perhaps some other non-native animal which has escaped captivity. The Sun has latched on to the “giant rat” label, and already has “super rats from South America” as a variant. Don’t their researchers ever look things up properly?<\/p>\n

And the locals were quick to leap on the bandwagon.<\/p>\n

The residents of Ravenscliffe estate in Bradford, West Yorks, are used to seeing massive rodents that sometimes appear in their kitchens and lounges…<\/p>\n

…Brandon toted an air rifle as he went “ratting” with pals on the edge of the estate – which they had heard was rife with rodents…<\/p>\n

…”I’ve seen thousands of rats during the course of my work and go shooting a couple of times a week. But I’ve never seen any as big as this. The one I shot was absolutely terrifying. I was shaking. Goodness knows where the others went. I’m glad I don’t live there.”<\/p>\n

After taking the photo, the ratters dumped the shot rodent in undergrowth. It is thought it was eaten by a fox.<\/p>\n

The estate has long had a monster rat problem. Rebecca told how her cat Marie cornered one in her lounge. But it stood and fought as it was just as big as the moggy…<\/p>\n

Neighbour Julie Briggs, 28, told how she and partner Andrew Denton, 24, hear rats fighting and squealing in the walls of their rented semi, which stands opposite open countryside.<\/p>\n

Mum-of-six Julie said: “I find droppings on the cooker when they get into the house. I’ve seen them in the lounge as we watch TV.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s strange that having found something so extraordinary (i.e. a rat the size of a small car) that they needed to photograph it, the “ratters” then dumped the corpse in the undergrowth. Strange. Or convenient.<\/p>\n

And I hope Brandon and his mates are Authorised Persons. Even shooting vermin requires that the person doing the shooting must be so.<\/p>\n