Rats have invaded fishing villages in northern Australia in recent days, prompting residents to clear piles of dead rodents from the beach every morning.
These long-haired rats have gradually moved closer to the coast after an exceptional rainy season in inland Australia, traveling hundreds of kilometers in search of new crops to eat.
The small mammals have reached the towns of Karumba and Normanton in Queensland state, where they are attacking pets, climbing onto boats and tearing cables from cars.
“There are rats everywhere (…) They are so bold that they come out during the day,” Derek Lord, a 49-year-old Normanton resident who runs a rat company, told AFP. Vehicle rental.
“They literally destroyed a car that night by removing all the wiring from the engine compartment,” he reported.
Rats also infest the neighboring village of Karumba, a popular barramundi fishing spot in Australia.
Piles of dead, drowned rodents wash up on the shore every day, fishing boat owner Jemma Probert told AFP.
“Last week we had them all over the beaches, some alive, some dead (…) The (local) council cleans the beaches every morning just to try to keep (the rats) at bay,” she reported.
In inland Australia, heavy rainfall, which can lead to rapid plant growth after years of drought, is often accompanied by an explosion in populations of so-called pests such as grasshoppers, rats and mice.