What a surprise a man was driving to a wedding in upstate New York when he discovered that a huge rat was in his car.
Kevin Coop decided to record the curious moment and upload the video on social media while he was in Roscoe, New York, which is approximately two hours from New York City.
“I just came upstate and I brought a damn rat from Brooklyn,” Coop said in the video.
In the video, the rodent is seen riding on the chest, walking from one place to another. “Holy shit!” Coop is heard exclaiming.
Coop stopped to remove the rat, but the animal immediately entered the engine of his car and was lost.
“I don’t know where he went,” Coop is heard laughing. The man did not say whether the rat managed to escape from his car and enter upstate New York.
Rat infestation in New York is on the rise
Data from New York City shows that rat sightings have increased 70% compared to the same period two years ago.
More than 21,500 sightings were reported to the Big Apple’s 3-1-1 service request line between January 1 and September 30.
That number has increased by 18,601 calls about rat sightings compared to last year.
Why did rats shoot up in NYC?
Experts believe that the pandemic has influenced the increase in rats in the city. According to Sandy Nurse, chairwoman of the Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee and City Council member, outdoor restaurants that opened during Covid-19 have been a “rat magnet.”
Another reason, according to some experts, is waste left at construction sites. Timothy Wong, owner of M&M Environmental Services, Long Island City, NY, believes that when there is construction, “nine times out of 10 there will always be rats on the construction site because you are raising the dirt and you are disturbing their homes.”
The city has repeatedly asked New Yorkers to follow these basic measures to prevent the growth of rats:
Clean. Garbage and clutter give rats a place to hide. Rats eat garbage, so store all garbage in rat-resistant, hard plastic containers with tight-fitting lids and place them inside (not outside) garbage containers. Keep landscaped areas around your property free of tall weeds and trim bushes that are close to the ground. Look for cracks or holes in your building’s foundation, sidewalks, and under doors and repair them by sealing them.
It may interest you
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The rat problem is growing in the Big Apple. Sightings of rats and mice have increased 30% from 2019 to 2021.
Credit: AP Stock
PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images
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The New York Times reported that “there have been more than 21,000 rat sightings reported to 311 this year, compared to 15,000 in the same period in 2019 (and about 12,000 in 2014).”
Credit: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images
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An interactive city map shows the results of rat inspections across the five boroughs.
Crédito: Shutterstock
Swipe here to continue with the gallery
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Ditmars Steinway, Queens, City Island, the Upper East Side, Lenox Hill, Yorkville and Mott Haven have all seen a 100% increase in rat sightings.
Credit: AP Stock
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En Brooklyn, Bedford Stuyvesant, Bushwick y Prospect Heights han visto aumentos.
Crédito: Shutterstock
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In Manhattan, the Upper West Side, Manhattanville and Morningside Heights are the areas with the most rat sightings.
Credit: AP Stock
Swipe here to continue with the gallery
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One possible explanation: empty streets and open-air restaurants, as well as delays in garbage collection, are some of the factors contributing to this increase, according to experts.
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To find out how many rats there are in your neighborhood, check this page.
Credit: AP Stock
2023-10-05 16:04:00
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