The fight against wildlife trafficking, one of the most lucrative illegal trades worldwide, has a new and unexpected ally: ...

A new frontline has emerged in the fight against wildlife trafficking—giant African rats trained to detect illicit animal ...

Climate change is contributing to a global rise in urban rat infestations, according to a new Science Advances study. As ...

Meet Mirasol, one very, VERY large rat. “She’s about 1.7 kilograms,” says Jenny Egan, the Senior Area Manager for the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore. “She is an African giant pouched rat.” Mirasol and ...

“She is an African giant pouched rat.” Mirasol and Maria (who sat out this story) are two African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Mirasol’s 1.7 ...

Scientists have some good news for rats and some bad news for city dwellers. Rat populations are rising in cities including Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, reports a study released Friday ...

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. A rat leaves its burrow at a park in New York City on Sept. 17, 2015. ( AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) A rat ...

Image by Ryan Truscott for Mongabay. An unidentified species of rat seen in Ngezi that resembles the long-tailed pouched rat (Beamys hindei), which is a species also found on the mainland.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rat infestation in many world cities appears to be soaring, especially in Washington, and a new study blames warming temperatures, urbanization and other human actions.

Now, we may be able to add another unexpected outcome of human-induced warming to that list: Rats. Lots and lots more rats. Urban rat populations are booming around the world due in large part to ...