{"id":6385,"date":"2025-05-06T05:09:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T04:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/?p=6385"},"modified":"2025-05-06T05:09:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T04:09:16","slug":"swarms-of-giant-cannibalistic-rats-some-reportedly-the-size-of-domestic-cats-are-growing-at-an-alarming-rate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/?p=6385","title":{"rendered":"Swarms of giant, cannibalistic rats \u2014 some reportedly the size of domestic cats \u2014 are growing at an alarming rate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Swarms of\u00a0giant, cannibalistic rats \u2014 some reportedly the size of domestic cats<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 are growing at an alarming rate and could soon pose a threat to\u00a0young children<\/strong>, according to a chilling new warning from a top pest control expert.<\/p>\n

Speaking to local media, urban rodent specialist\u00a0Dr. Richard Thomas<\/strong>\u00a0said the rats have adapted to extreme conditions, including\u00a0eating their own kind to survive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Now, he warns, they\u2019re\u00a0evolving into even larger, more aggressive super-rats<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 and they\u2019re hungry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing rats unlike anything we\u2019ve dealt with before,\u201d Dr. Thomas said. \u201cThey\u2019re bolder, stronger, and yes \u2014 in some cases,\u00a0cannibalistic<\/strong>. And as food sources run out, we may see them venturing closer to humans, especially vulnerable children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Evolved for Survival<\/h3>\n

Experts say the rise of these mutant-like rodents began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when urban rats were forced to fight for limited food. Those that survived were the\u00a0strongest, smartest, and most aggressive<\/strong>, passing on their genes in an eerie case of\u00a0natural selection in fast-forward<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

Now, pest control workers report that some rats have\u00a0gnawed through brick, steel, and even concrete<\/strong>. In parts of London and New York, they\u2019ve even been seen chasing stray cats and dogs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re no longer dealing with your average sewer rat,\u201d said one exterminator. \u201cThese beasts are smart \u2014 and they\u2019re not afraid of us anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Threat to Children?<\/p>\n

The most disturbing part of the expert\u2019s warning is the potential risk to children.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a child were to come across one of these rats, especially a lone rat protecting its food or nest,\u00a0it could attack<\/strong>,\u201d Dr. Thomas claimed. \u201cAnd in a pack, they could easily overwhelm a small child. It\u2019s not just an urban legend anymore.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Though attacks on humans remain rare, the expert urged\u00a0parents to be vigilant<\/strong>, especially near alleys, parks, dumpsters, and abandoned buildings.<\/p>\n

Urban Areas on Edge<\/h3>\n

Several cities across the U.S. and UK have reported\u00a0spikes in rat-related incidents<\/strong>, with sightings in subways, apartment complexes, and even schools.<\/p>\n

Officials are calling for enhanced pest control funding and\u00a0public awareness campaigns<\/strong>\u00a0to curb the growing threat.<\/p>\n

Until then, experts recommend keeping garbage tightly sealed, avoiding feeding wildlife, and\u00a0keeping small children away from known infestation zones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0Have you seen one of these cat-sized rats? Share your experience in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Swarms of\u00a0giant, cannibalistic rats \u2014 some reportedly the size of domestic cats\u00a0\u2014 are growing at an alarming rate and could soon pose a threat to\u00a0young children, according to a chilling new warning from a top pest control expert. Speaking to local media, urban rodent specialist\u00a0Dr. Richard Thomas\u00a0said the rats have adapted to extreme conditions, including\u00a0eating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-stuff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6388,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6385\/revisions\/6388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}