Urban street-wise rats

August 30, 2005
By Carol Lazar

Animals are adapting to changing times and city life.

I have a friend called Sylvia who believes that animals are becoming urbanised. She sites two examples to support her premise.
A few weeks ago she was returning home late after spending an evening with friends.

It was midnight when she stopped her car at a robot on Riviera Road, Killarney.

The streets were deserted, there was no other traffic, and, as she sat waiting for the light to change, she noticed a giant rat sitting on the pavement.

It was, she said, watching the robot. When it turned green and the little figure advising pedestrians to walk popped up, the rat hopped smartly off the pavement, and keeping to the pedestrian crossing, marched across the road, then trotted off down the street.
Bemused, she continued her journey home."

Before crossing the road...remember to look left, then look right, then look left again...