The rat epidemic once devastated Australia

Rats and mice are a big problem in Australia, especially around grain growing areas in the east and south. Every few years, rat populations reach enormous proportions, destroying crops and gardens, invading homes, hotels and restaurants. Even urban areas like Sydney have extremely large rat populations estimated at 500 million to one billion. The ratio of rats to residents is as low as 100 rats per person, according to Amusing Planet.

One of the largest rat epidemics occurred in 1917 when parts of Queensland and Victoria were invaded by rats. They bite children in their cradles, chew through telephone and telegraph lines, and gnaw on stamps and parcels at train stations. Mice jump out every time drawers and cupboards are opened, causing people in the house to panic. Housewives often find dead mice floating in milk jugs and have to cut the loaf of bread carefully because there are sometimes cooked mouse bodies inside. Some mice even sneak into the zoo and scare the lions or elephants into roaring loudly.

“The order was upset, the mice not only ran and jumped when the cat was absent, but also played around, biting the cat’s ears and tail tips. The cats became so scared and panicked that they took refuge in trees whenever possible,” The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser reported. According to The Horsham Times, the wheat at Woomelang station quickly disappeared. Local farmers cannot use straw to feed their horses because the straw has too many rats. Most farmers have to burn it and buy straw from other towns.

Dozens watched as the rat was captured and killed each. The largest rat extermination took place in Lascelles, Victoria, where 200,000 rats, weighing a total of 3 tonnes, were captured in one night. The rat epidemic was first noticed in February and March 1917, peaking between April and August. Before the pandemic was extinguished, more than 1,500 tons of rats, equivalent to about 100 million animals, were killed. die.

The rat pandemic in 1917 was large-scale, but the most severe economic consequences were the 1993 pandemic when rats caused damage of 64 – 96 million USD. Rats destroyed thousands of hectares of crops and devastated poultry farms.

Researchers still don’t fully understand why Australia periodically experiences rat epidemics. This invasive species is not native to the continent. They appeared with Europeans probably in the late 18th century. Because they were introduced from elsewhere and had no natural predators, rats multiplied and their numbers skyrocketed. The most important factor contributing to the rat epidemic is likely the weather. Winter rain is essential for the pandemic to occur, although it is not the only factor. On the contrary, the drought was enough to stop the rat epidemic. Food availability is another factor, but controlled experiments show no change in quantity when water or food is added.