The Daily Mail and The Sun have reported that a pest control company was called into a factory in England to catch a pair of over 2-foot long wild rats.
Rentokil, the firm hired to catch the beasts, successfully captured the huge creatures, which were almost 30 inches long. The firm was called in to solve the problem after workers said they had seen a pair of large rats stalking the grounds at night. According to Rentokil’s Malcom Padley:
“They were both around 2 feet and it’s fair to say that our technicians were very surprised at the size… it goes to show that where there’s a food source, these rodents will grow big… so it’s rare, but any rodent sighting should be taken seriously.”
Frighteningly, this is not an isolated case as another colossal rat — dubbed “Ratzilla” or the “Beast of Bradford” — was shot by “ratter” Brandon Goddard, on the pest-plagued Ravenscliffe estate in Bradford, which is located just 64 miles away from the Lincoln factory. Goddard claims to have seen at least four more of the behemoth beasts:
“The first went right past, but we got the second one, then three more got away. I’ve seen thousands of rats 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.”
This story has gotten locals terrified of the implications of encountering one of these gargantuan, disease ridden vermin. John Barrow, of West London, has become so scared of packs of giant rats he will not get out of his wagon at night. Reg Wilson, also of West London, is more concerned about the welfare of local children:
“I’ve got the council coming around. I’m worried these jumbo rodents will hurt a child.”
Local Florence Howell — who believes that new houses being built across the road have prompted an invasion — told how she mistook a gigantic rat for her neighbor’s cat before realizing the truth:
“It was horrible. I ran inside and closed the door. I didn’t want it getting into the house. It was just over the road when I caught sight of it, in front of that boarded up house … it must be all the digging that started this, some of those houses have been derelict for eight years and when they started excavating them, the rats moved out.”
36 year-old mother, Tracey Tompkins, now lives in terror of the ever advancing creatures:
“Two rats came out from the side of our house and walked very slowly across the road into the undergrowth during the afternoon. They were both about the size of cats and were in no hurry to get across and went their separate ways. I think they are horrible things and make me want to leave this area after hearing these stories. Rats are disgusting, they really frighten me — the large ones are like something out of a film.”
Pest control officers visited the Bradford estate, assuring locals they will investigate if any more “Ratzillas” are seen. Earlier this month a report from Yorkshire Water revealed Bradford was facing an explosion in its rat population, however, experts from the RSPCA and the Mammal Society attempted to allay residents’ fears, saying the giant rats might actually be a South American rodent called a coypu, which is related to the porcupine and feeds on plants.
A pair of rats can produce 3,000 offspring a year. Several species of giant rat have been discovered recently in remote jungle areas on Papua New Guinea. The largest, known as woolly rats, can reach up to 3-feet in length. Rodents are known to carry 40 diseases including plague.
