‘Ratzilla’ — Giant Rat Terrorizes Family [TRUE STORY]

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A huge rat, measuring almost 16 inches not including its tail, terrified a Swedish family and their cat.

“We thought it could be a little mouse, but after a while we figured it couldn’t be because it was making too much noise,” Signe Bengtsson told The Local. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the rat eating leftovers under the kitchen sink. “It was right there in our rubbish bin, a mighty monster. I was petrified. I couldn’t believe such a big rat could exist. I couldn’t help but do the old classic and jump on the kitchen table and scream.”

Her husband, Erik Korsås, told BBC News that even the family cat had refused to enter the kitchen while the giant rat was in the house. Also living in the home were daughters Dana (17) and Erica (15), as well as sons Justus (13) and Laurentius (6).

The family immediately called pest control, who came and set up some heavy-duty traps. The rat was caught soon, but even as the trap went off the beast didn’t die; instead, it took off running with the trap still around its neck.

The creature did eventually die, and Korsås joked, “One of my sons said it was a Putin rat. But my older son said it was more like a Viking rat and I agree with him.”

After taking a few souvenir photos, the family moved on with their lives. That was three weeks ago, but suddenly the rat reared its head again — this time in story form, and labeled “Ratzilla” by local media. According to BBC News, “…[the story] rapidly scurried to the top of the country’s news agenda, attracting the attention of reporters at newspapers including the English-language The Local. On Tuesday, the “mega rat” became the most shared item for popular Swedish daily Aftonbladet, according to a tweet by journalist Sven Nordenstam.”

The kitchen has been since been repaired, and neither the family nor their cat, Enok, has been terrorized by rats. Still, there could be reason for all of us to worry in the future: Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz, of the University of Leicester in the UK, told the BBC that scientists believe rats could eventually grow into the size of sheep.

Sleep well tonight.

http://firsttoknow.com/ratzilla-giant-rat-terrorizes-family-true-story/?utm_source=facebookpage
 
Giant rat: Swedes agog at 'Ratzilla' in Stockholm

The appearance of a massive rat in a Stockholm family's kitchen has made headlines in Sweden, where it is being dubbed "Ratzilla".

Measuring 40cm (nearly 16in) plus tail, the creature terrified the family in Solna district.

Pest controllers finally killed the intruder using an oversized trap.

Even the family cat had refused to enter the kitchen while the giant rat was in residence, father Erik Korsas told BBC News.

It appears that it reached the kitchen via a ventilation pipe, having gnawed its way through cement and wood.

After devouring food leftovers under the sink, the creature feasted on a "Swedish smorgasbord" of waste in the bin, according to Mr Korsas.

The women of the house - mother Signe and daughters Dana and Erica, 17 and 15 respectively - took fright but his sons, 13-year-old Justus and six-year-old Laurentius, eventually proved themselves as genuine rat-hunters, he said.

It was the boys who investigated after the trap was sprung and the injured animal crawled away. It was they who brought him tools to help establish that it was well and truly dead.

Justus wielded the iPad which captured his father posing with the dead intruder.

'Mega rat'

The incident occurred three weeks ago and initially, after taking a few souvenir photos, the family thought no more about it.

But when they contacted Sweden's Home And Rent website to see if it was interested in the story, it rapidly scurried to the top of the country's news agenda, attracting the attention of reporters at newspapers including the English-language The Local.

On Tuesday, the "mega rat" became the most shared item for popular Swedish daily Aftonbladet, according to a tweet by journalist Sven Nordenstam.

Social media rang with gasps of disbelief, disgust and amusement. "Can't even read the news because there's a story about a giant rat on it," wrote one person. "I'd be moving on out of there," wrote another.

Laughing incredulously, Mr Korsas told the BBC that one reporter had said he should have frozen the rat's carcass for posterity.

He was dismayed at suggestions he had photo-shopped the whole thing. Not a penny, he stressed, was paid for any of the photos.

"What surprised me is people say they cannot even read the articles and cannot go to sleep because of this story," he told the BBC.

"The human race and rats have had a long relationship. We have gone hand in hand, both as enemies and friends."

Fly-catcher

Since the incident, the kitchen has been repaired and the family and its cat, Enok, have not been bothered by rats of any size. Nonetheless the family is "just waiting for the next rat to come home to us", Mr Korsas said.

The Stockholm rat weighed about a kilo (2.2lb), Mr Korsas believes. Despite regular media speculation, there appears to be little evidence of rats getting bigger in developed countries.

However, scientists do believe they could eventually grow into the size of sheep, Dr Jan Zalasiewicz, of the University of Leicester in the UK, recently told the BBC.

That said, any significant change would be a long way off.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26764929
 
That's one butt ugly rat, but then all rats are butt ugly! ugh,ugh,ugh!....and to top it off :ugh:!
 
Look up the south american Capybara. Worlds largest rodent at 3.5 to 4.4 feet long and 20 to 24 inches tall. They weigh in at 77 to 146 pounds the record being 201 pounds. They herd up around 10 to 20 but up to 100 Capybaras.
 
jonnyghost said:
Look up the south american Capybara. Worlds largest rodent at 3.5 to 4.4 feet long and 20 to 24 inches tall. They weigh in at 77 to 146 pounds the record being 201 pounds. They herd up around 10 to 20 but up to 100 Capybaras.
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Nope,nope, nope won't even look at a pic of them! :lol:
 
Annie09Z said:
It's all yours, have a nice walk! :giggle:
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I would as well,Not wanting to brag but was leaving food out for hedgehogs(not sure you have them)been feeding them for years to discover it sodding rat who bit bigger America rat,when neighbours found out lets say I didn't win popularity test he so big he could hardly walk so I picked him up and yes in my arms let him go in forest.That was London
the rats got at end of road by sea looks little like kangaroo they well fed as it seaside prom.
 
caz12 said:
I would as well,Not wanting to brag but was leaving food out for hedgehogs(not sure you have them)been feeding them for years to discover it sodding rat who bit bigger America rat,when neighbours found out lets say I didn't win popularity test he so big he could hardly walk so I picked him up and yes in my arms let him go in forest.That was London
the rats got at end of road by sea looks little like kangaroo they well fed as it seaside prom.
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OMG, Caz, I cannot believe you and your rat stories!

I don't know if we have hedgehogs, but I think they are so cute, I've seen pictures of them. I'll have to do a search to see if they are in the US
 
I was on holiday in vietnam once and i was walking through the main market with my wife when a rat that was actually the size of a small cat ran infront of us, for a woman who was born and raised in vietnam she really did jump
 
Sounds like it might of been a Nutria, the largest of the rat family and were originally native to South America. They can grow to 12 to 18" tall and weigh as much as 35 lbs. they were bred to make fur coats until the fur industry died and the breeders let their Nutria loose and they breed like well rats. Parts of the Pacific Northwest have hunting seasons for them and pay by the pelt.
 
oh HELLLLLL NOOOOO!!! OH NO NO NO NO NO!

SON! FETCH ME A SHOTGUN!
 
Annie09Z said:
OMG, Caz, I cannot believe you and your rat stories!

I don't know if we have hedgehogs, but I think they are so cute, I've seen pictures of them. I'll have to do a search to see if they are in the US
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better story I had pet rats and mice as kid,i thought one of the mice and one rat seem be putting weight on I thought they all same sex..then one morning our neighbour screamed non stop my name being mention between screams the rat had given birth on her door step few days later the mouse escaped had babies on her back door step..My dad collapsed the shed I kept them in I found out birds and bee's and my rodent days were over
 
caz12 said:
better story I had pet rats and mice as kid,i thought one of the mice and one rat seem be putting weight on I thought they all same sex..then one morning our neighbour screamed non stop my name being mention between screams the rat had given birth on her door step few days later the mouse escaped had babies on her back door step..My dad collapsed the shed I kept them in I found out birds and bee's and my rodent days were over
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Though I can't remember it because I was too young, my brother brought home a mouse that turned out to be a rat. The story is my mom would be knitting or crocheting on the couch while watching TV and the rat would be on her shoulder...head and body on one side, tail reaching over to the other side. As you can tell, we were raised not to be freaked out by small rats, spiders, etc. Don't know where my girls got their fear of spiders from. Certainly not me. :lol:
 
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