Rodent ‘So Big You Could Almost Ride It’ Fished Out of River

When a swamp rat was mistaken for an otter swimming in a river in Ireland, the National Parks And Wildlife Service was called in to capture the creature, the Daily Mail says. Now, the 3 ft. long rodent is being kept in the wildlife unit at the Kildare Animal Foundation. Rodney, as his caregivers call him, is used to human interaction so authorities believe he was a pet that either escaped or was intentionally released into the wild. For now, Rodney spends his days in his enclosure, swimming and eating lettuce and apples, until someone with “the right experience” steps up to give him a good home. The Daily Mail says large rodents aren’t so unusual, as the UK has a problem with “mutant rats” that appear to be as large as cats. “The rodents…are twice as large as normal species and cannot be killed with traditional substances,” the report says. The director of the Scottish Pest Control Services says rats in the cold have thick fur that makes them appear larger, however.