It looks like Master Splinter is letting his presence known, as another rat with the size of a human baby was caught in the United Kingdom.
Jeff Sullivan, owner of SWAT Total Pest Control, confirmed that in the 18 years he has spent working in the industry, the rat his company caught in the Grimsby, Lincolnshire home is the biggest that he has seen.
"There is a lot of misrepresentation with guys taking photos of rats with mobile phones and holding it out at an extreme arm's length to create the illusion that it's bigger than it really is," Sullivan said. "But this is the real deal; it's the largest rat I've ever seen."
Don't go to Grimsby #GiantRat #ToddlerSize pic.twitter.com/pPpfQBWLaH
— Michael York (@TheRealMikiYork) April 9, 2016
He attributed the large size of the rat to a high-protein diet and warns that these rodents are becoming poison-resistant, making them difficult to kill. He explained that rat infestations pose a serious health threat.
"Rats carry around 35 diseases such as leptospirosis and rat bite fever and urinate as they travel," Sullivan said. He added that homeowners should work with a highly qualified pest controller to effectively exterminate the rats.
The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) warns homeowners that these giant rodents may invade homes as they become bigger and stronger because of consuming over-the-counter pest control pellets, which have become tasty treats for them. Rats are not only becoming more immune to toxic pellets, they are also growing in size and strength.
"The rodents have become resistant and, in some cases, immune to off-the-shelf poisons to the point where they're actually feeding off the toxic pellets, which means their size and strength is increasing," BPCA chief executive Simon Forrester said.
The agency also said that these rats can grow as big as cats.
Just last month, a large rat was also caught, this time in Dalston in North East London. It was previously reported to measure about 4 feet long but a mathematician corrected the measurement and concluded that based on the angle it was held, the rat measures about 2 feet.
Photo: Don DeBold | Flickr
