Plague of rats hits Australia

Rats are destroying cars, clambering onto boats and washing up dead on beaches in northern Australia after a plague of the rodents hit the region.

The vermin have swarmed through the towns of Karumba and Normanton in the Gulf Country area of Queensland.

Plagued Rats Invade Australian Town

Thousands of plagued rats attacked the fishing town of Karumba in Australia, as their corpses accumulated in the water and on the beach.

The flood of disease-ridden rodents attacked cars and buildings, and destroyed crops.

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The number of native long-haired rats has exploded thanks to plentiful rainfall and an abundance of crops on which to feed.

They are invading homes, menacing poultry and munching their way through the electrics of cars.

The rats have been steadily moving northwards from inland Outback areas towards the Gulf of Carpentaria since June.

They have swept through Outback towns such as Cloncurry and Julia Creek, eating crops and contaminating water sources.

In their desperate search for food, some of the rats have been swimming to sandbars in rivers and estuaries.

When the tide rises, they drown, and their bloated bodies wash up on beaches.

Authorities are doing their best to remove the rodent corpses, which attract clouds of flies.

The fishing town of Karumba has been particularly badly hit, where rats have been climbing up anchor chains and onto boats that are moored offshore.

Predators such as kites are feeding on the rats, but this has not made much difference to the vast numbers.

In the Gulf of Carpentaria, the floating bodies of dead rats are providing rich pickings for tiger sharks and bull sharks, locals said.

Two years ago, New South Wales was hit by the worst mouse plague in living memory, with millions of the creatures causing huge damage to farmland and harvested crops.

Read more via The Telegraph