Cat-Sized Rats Survive in Florida

Cat-Sized Rats Survive in Florida, Gambian pouch rats have been found in Florida's Grassy Key despite efforts to eradicate them. Officials worry that the voracious rats, which grow to nine pounds, might wipe out some crops and upset the delicate ecological balance if they manage to reach the Florida mainland.

Lulu the rat is fed mashed banana in a syringe after having completed a training session for the tuberculosis (TB) detection programme at Sokoine University in Morogoro Tanzania. The African Giant Pouch rat, also known as the Gambian pouch rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat native to Africa. It is the largest rat in the world, growing to be as big as a raccoon and weighing up to 8.8 pounds.