LONDON, England (Reuters) -- A rat released on a deserted island off New Zealand outsmarted scientists and evaded traps, baits and sniffer dogs before being captured four months later on a neighboring island, researchers have said. Scientists from the University of Auckland in New Zealand released the Norway rat on the 23.5-acre island of Motuhoropapa to find out why rats are so difficult to eradicate. They got more than they bargained for. "Our findings confirm that eliminating a single invading rat is disproportionately difficult," James Russell and his colleagues said in a report in the science journal Nature. Despite all their efforts, including fitting the rat with a radio collar, they couldn't catch the crafty creature. They're too smart, thats all's I can say. Yay for more!
I don't think they can be that dumb, they got a holiday on an island for 4 months. Maybe they didn't try that hard.
You're a thinker! They were taking a vacation, getting some rays, drinking some beer and all that good stuff. But they didn't want their boss to find out they were drinking on the job so they made up the excuse the rat is smarter. Lol
but lets think about this... 23.5 acres of land, and a bunch of traps and dogs. how small is a rat? how big is this island? very disproportionate if you ask me. all the rat had to do was not want the bait. and as far as im concerned, a rat could avoid a few dogs easily on an island with any partial cover. completely desert? maybe not, but thatt not a fair fight now is it?
