Giant Rat Caught

(Fuzhou, China) Reportedly, it's a bamboo rat that usually lives underground and feeds on bamboo. On the contrary, I would contend that rats are vermin, will live where there is food, and will eat anything.

The rat, which weighed six pounds and had a 12-inch tail, was caught at the weekend in a residential area of Fuzhou, a city of six million people on China's south coast.

The ratcatcher, who was only named as Mr Xian, said he swooped for the rodent after seeing a big crowd of people surrounding it on the street.

He told local Chinese newspapers that he thought the rat might be a valuable specimen, or a rare species, and had to muster up his courage before grabbing its tail and picking it up by the scruff of its neck.

"I did it, I caught a rat the size of a cat!" he shouted out afterwards, according to the reports. Mr Xian is believed to still be in possession of the animal, after stuffing into a bag and departing the scene.

Bamboo rats are regularly sold for meat. Good eats, apparently. Oddly, thus far there has been no comment from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).