Enormous rat - 4ft long - merged threads

[ehb102]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12190991/giant-monster-rat-found-in-hackney-downs-london-childrens-playground.html

 

I can't see this posted elsewhere, I hope I'm not doubling up.

 

Do you think this rat is rattus rattus or rattus norvegicus or something else? Have you ever seen a rat this big? It can't be Photoshopped, it's in the Telegraph :-)

[7daysinaweek]

it would take some ferret to face that big fella!

[kyska]

That doesn't look like a rat to me.

[Teal]

If you look at the photo it's on a litter grab, and nearly the full length of it away from the man's body which makes it look bigger, like the big game hunters and fisherman sometimes do. If the rat did weigh "upwards of 25lbs" there is no way he'd be able to do that. Think the Telegraph has been suckered in on this one.

[McSpredder]

Maybe a non-native species that has escaped from somewhere. We used to see very large cane rats (genus Thryonomys) when I worked in Nigeria. On one occasion a group of locals took shelter from a tropical downpour under our veranda. All of a sudden there was a lot of shouting, machetes were wielded, and the giant rat corpse was presented to us -- our property because it had been found in our garden. There was genuine delight when we allowed them to take it away for their supper.

[davewh100]

sorry not very good with link but there's been a 4ft rat found dead go to itv news

[Brixsmaid]

See Here http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/332430-enormous-rat-4ft-long/

[Scully]

There was genuine delight when we allowed them to take it away for their supper.

Do you mind, I was in the middle of a sarnie! 'Puke' emoticon not working for me.

[lurchers]

You think 25kg is 4stone there is no way he could hold that like that,plus he has got it arms length towards the camera so it will look bigger.i work as a pestle and I've never seen one that big but I've had some biguns.

[WelshAndy]

If you look at the photo it's on a litter grab, and nearly the full length of it away from the man's body which makes it look bigger, like the big game hunters and fisherman sometimes do. If the rat did weigh "upwards of 25lbs" there is no way he'd be able to do that. Think the Telegraph has been suckered in on this one.

My thoughts exactly.

[clakk]

Thats the world food shortage fixed then ,burger anyone

[The Mighty Prawn]

As a fisherman who has frequently exploited the effect of foreshortening to make fish look bigger I can see that's exactly what he's done - look how much the diameter of the tongs increases from his hand to the jaws and that is pointing straight at the camera

 

A big rat yes, but not the monster they claim

[loriusgarrulus]

Lot of African rats kept as pets. Could be one that's escaped, but I don't think they make 25 pounds.

Our local agricultural college had some .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambian_pouched_rat

.

[loriusgarrulus]

Could be an African rat. A fair few kept as pets over here and they make about 3ft.

[jam1e]

Maybe a Nutria? Can't see how it got over here in the UK though??

[Gordon R]

This is definitely a Siberian Hamster.

[Harnser]

That's nothing ,there are some big rats in the House of Commons .

 

Harnser

[Old farrier]

This is definitely a Siberian Hamster.

Sorry 🤔

 

It's a southern harvest mouse 😂

 

Anyway should all be able to apply for the appropriate gun to deal with these now ( good reason) 😊😊

 

All the best

Of

[McSpredder]

Do you mind, I was in the middle of a sarnie! 'Puke' emoticon not working for me.

No need to be squeamish, they are vegetarians (called cane rats because they often live in sugar cane), so it is really no worse than eating grey squiggles. Think of some of the stuff wild boar (or domesticated outdoor pigs) are liable to consume in UK. Reminds me that I once worked on a farm where they kept a lot of hens and one old sow, who disposed of all the dead birds (she never ate their feet, which were still clearly visible when I was mucking out the sow's pen at the end of the year), and 50+ years later I still happily eat pork and bacon. Do you think it might have had an adverse effect on my brain?

 

Just done a quick web search, and Wikipedia informs me that "the peoples of the region also utilize the cane rat as a food source (as bushmeat), considering the meat a delicacy. Consequently, grasscutters (as they are often called in Ghana and other regions of West Africa) are beginning to be raised in cages for sale."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_cane_rat

[Cranfield]

If you look at the photo it's on a litter grab, and nearly the full length of it away from the man's body which makes it look bigger, like the big game hunters and fisherman sometimes do. If the rat did weigh "upwards of 25lbs" there is no way he'd be able to do that. Think the Telegraph has been suckered in on this one.

 

I agree, its decent sized rat, but not 4ft.

They should have saved the picture for April 1st.

[ehb102]

I see the article has been updated to say the rat is two feet long. Or possibly the social media feed has updated itself.

[bornfree]

Seen bigger ones in the saucepan at my local Indian takeaway.

[Bazooka Joe]

If you look at the photo it's on a litter grab, and nearly the full length of it away from the man's body which makes it look bigger, like the big game hunters and fisherman sometimes do. If the rat did weigh "upwards of 25lbs" there is no way he'd be able to do that. Think the Telegraph has been suckered in on this one.

 

Looks like the mail been suckered into this one then;

 

This is local & I've known him all my life, no reason to doubt him.

 

He even received death threat's from the antis.. + the RSPCA were looking for further info into the incident, & asking the public to contact their cruelty line.......

 

Read some some of the anti comments.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2133818/Giant-rat-killed-pensioner-Brian-Watson-lump-wood-farm.html

[pegasus bridge]

I would be interested to see what his wife thinks 6 inches looks like 😂