Rats attack coastal villages in Australia

Rats have invaded fishing villages in northern Australia in recent days, leading residents to clear beaches of dead rodents every morning.

These long-haired rats have gradually moved closer to the coast after an exceptionally wet season in Australia’s interior, traveling hundreds of kilometers in search of new crops.

The small mammals have reached the towns of Karumba and Normanton in Queensland state, where they attack pets, board boats and rip wiring from cars.

“There are rats everywhere (…) they are very shy, they come out during the day,” Normanton resident Derek Lord, 49, who runs a rat company, told AFP. Vehicle rental informed.

“They literally destroyed a car at night by removing all the wires from the engine compartment,” he said.

Rats also infest the village of Karumba, a popular barramundi fishing spot in Australia.

Piles of dead, drowned rodents wash ashore daily, fishing boat owner Gemma Probert told AFP.

“Last week we had them all over the beaches, some alive, some dead (…) The (local) council cleans the beaches every morning, trying to keep (the rats) at bay,” he said.

In Australia’s interior, abundant rains that cause rapid crop growth after years of drought are often accompanied by population explosions of so-called insects such as locusts, mice and rats.