Fans of the movie "Ratatouille" are going to love this bizarre video.
Society's opinion on whether rats are cute or creepy doesn't come into play when watching this real-life rat video. You can think their beady eyes are unnerving or love their twitchy noses, but you can't deny the fact that this rat acts like a miniature human. The video was taken in Huaraz City in Peru, and no, the rat isn't a person's trained pet.
Someone apparently found this wild rodent inside a sink and was quick enough to get digital proof of what happened next. Coated in some kind of soap and with the faucet running, the rat stands on its hind legs and begins to clean itself. It uses its human-like hands to lather the soap into its fur—making sure to get all those troublesome areas like under its arms and on its belly. It even appears to rub the soap between its hands before starting—a completely human gesture.
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A rat taking a shower with soap obviously isn't natural, and there are some people out there who refuse to believe it's real. They say the rat is actually a puppet or some kind of animatronic. Dallas Krentzel, an evolutionary biologists at University of Chicago has even come forward to say the animal in the video isn't a rat at all, but a different kind of rodent called a pacarana.
Pacaranas are native to Peru and are slightly larger than the average rat. They also have flexible forelimbs, short tails, and are comfortable standing on their back legs. From the looks of the "rat" in the video, the mystery creature could indeed be a pacarana. But regardless of the type of rodent, those that believe the animal is alive are worried about the soap stripping its fur of essential oils.
Rats, pacaranas, and almost all other mammals clean themselves with their tongues. They obviously don't use soap when they're on their own in the wild, and some chemicals used in cleaners are harmful to animals. The "Shower Rat" video is undoubtedly mind-boggling, but experts like Krentzel want to remind everyone that it's not a good idea to try and recreate the scene with another animal.
The video has certainly given the Internet something to talk about, but what makes it so special is that it's one of a kind. Squirting soap on a pet rat and sticking them in the sink could be considered an act of animal cruelty.
Do you believe the "Shower Rat" video is real? Let us know in the comments.
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