Photo: Brooklyn Man Stabs GIANT Rat With Pitchfork

Tonight's nightmare fuel courtesy of Black And Brown News

There's a new sad rat in town: A giant 3-foot-long rat met its maker at the Marcy Houses recently, when Housing Authority worker Jose Rivera stabbed it multiple times with a pitchfork. The 48-year-old says he believes there are at least two more on the loose out there, which he spotted when filling a rat hole last week.

An expert at the Wildlife Conservation Society told the Daily News—who caught wind of the story from Black and Brown News—it is likely a Gambian pouched rat, and was probably someone's escaped or discarded pet. The head of the Marcy Houses Tenant Association says these giant rats have been spotted over the past six years; and one resident told BBN that eight big rats were recently killed in one day.

Tenants believe the rats have been breeding with Norway rats in the area, and are "spawning a super-breed of rodents" that "gang up on the cats." Though zoo experts say that is unlikely, who cares, because these things exist! But at least they probably can't crawl up our toilets?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on August 25, 2011 5:14 PM

Comments [rss]

Danny F

its a fake photo. There is no blood on either the pitchfork or the white rat. The fork blade on the far right is the same blade used to protrude through the right. Look at the lighting on the tine and you will see what I am talking about.

Warren Deeb

who knew people in Brooklyn had pitch forks like that???

Melissa

Gambian Pouched Rats are not true rats, so I'm not sure they can breed with native rats and produce fertile offspring. I had heard of them before because in Africa they have been trained to save lives be detecting land mines and tuberculosis. Unfortunately, in the US they have been implicated in the spread of diseases like monkeypox.

suziq123

that is the most disgusting thin i have ever seen.

nolastname

The cold heartlessness shown here is why we are all going to hell in a hotrod. Fast.

WesternQueensLand

When pixelated/
The "American Gothic"/
Tells another tale/
#haiku
http://twitpic.com/6bzw75
@wQueens7:twitter

Karl Magnus

That aint no "earth dog" rat. Can ya really buy those things?
Our terriers need some new bait and chew toys.

~(Ä)~

scallywag

If only I could convince my pet hamster to share its cage with one of them critters...

http://scallywagandvagabond.co...

Terry_Jim

Good job! But, Mr.Rivera sure runied his 6-slice Amish toaster.

OSURE

You know these rats by their squeal because they go 'here kitty, kitty,kitty."

Langley Jones

Cough up a lung, where I'm from, Marcy son.

AwayFromTheGrey

I don't understand why all of these rats have to be exterminated when all they are trying to do is survive. I saw a young man spit several times on one in the subway weeks ago and it infuriated me. These creatures are just living out their days and just because they are not good-looking doesn't mean they don't need attention, care and basic needs like other living things. It's not their fault they are shunned for their lack of attractive features and adorable size. I mean, really, everyone.

Mack Peterson

Ever heard of the fucking Bubonic Plague?

zombiebob

It's not their lack of unattractive features (hell, depending on who you ask, some rats are downright sexxxxxxyyyy)... it's that they are the ultimate opportunists, they carry disease, they can be aggressive etc...
They have their nasty rep for a damn good reason.

dieyoufilthyanimal

why don't you take them then ?

Azraea

Isn't it illegal to have almost all rodents as pets in NYC?

Fern Cohen

no......ever hear of guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, mice and yes people have rats as pets. Not my cup of tea, but they are very intelligent.

slatsg

In 7th grade my science teacher told the students we could have one of the classroom rats if our parents okayed it. For some bizarre reason, my mom let me have one (the brown one ... the albino one was freaky). Other than their tails, domestic rats are actually kind of cute. I named mine Dusty. Rats ARE indeed very intelligent (she quickly learned how to unlock her cage a la Mrs. Frisby and The Rats of NIMH). She would be very playful once she was let out of her cage for a while, and she showed affection.

That said, she was a domestic rat, bred for science or snake food ... not a wild city rat. Those things are not to be messed with. They nibble on children in their beds, chew through pipes and brick walls and you can see scores of them around nests.

On TV and in the movies, whenever you see a rat, it's a cute little brown one like my old Dusty, with some hair gel in their fur to make them look "rough."