Fish Catching Rat

[budgie123 163]

When starting a new rat job at a domestic the customer reported the rat had now killed 3 gold fish and eaten them.

 

While there we lfted the plastic waterfall on his pond and below it there was another partially eaten gold fish.

 

It has also eaten dozens of fresh water snails something i have seen many times.

 

I have never come across this in 10 years. I have come across them catching and eating frogs in domestic ponds.

 

The fish are possibly easier to catch at this time of year being sluggish due to cold water temperatue but the rat must be a good swimmer the fish are sitting very deep in the pond.

 

 

Just wondered if anyone else has come across this.

[J Darcy 5,871]

How big are the goldfish?

[OldTrapCollector 376]

Are you sure that it's a rat?

[toby63 1,236]

sounds abit minky to me

[abarrett 462]

Is there a nest of poles close by

Check if the carp are still there

[EDDIE B 3,145]

Might be possible, but i wonder are the fish already dead before the rats get them! Don't know much about gold fish, but aren't they meant to die for no apparent reason! Well any i had as a kid did anyway! Lol

[budgie123 163]

Definately a rat the customer has seen it 3 times when lifting the plastic waterfall where it is taking and eating the fish.

 

The gold fish are 6 to 10 inches long.

 

As far as the customer is aware he has not seen any dead fish so we presume the rat is catching them.

 

You live and learn in this job thats for sure.

 

When it has left the area below the waterfall it enters his shed where I now have baits and traps. Rat droppings are visible in the shed.

[neil cooney 10,415]

It wouldn't surprise me as the rat is an amazing predator. I once had one take 16 canaries in a flight (not cages) on me.

IMO if a rat was to catch goldfish there's either two rats working together or the rat is nailing the fish at one point in the pond when they come up for air(as goldfish do ).

Either way it's hard work on the rats part so an easier meal in a trap should make them easy to trap, in theory anyways.

[treecreeper 1,136]

can you not put a trail camera on it?

[oxo 396]

I have seen a rat with a small live flatfish in its mouth on the River Tyne, saw one scurrying along with a whole crab apple in its mouth too

[EDDIE B 3,145]

Rats = Opportunistic!

[comanche 2,801]

"H. Hediger director of the Zurich zoo,records rats diving into the zoo's aquaria, destroying fish and plant life."

Quoted from Clive Roots' Animal Invaders .

[j j m 6,486]

if there hungry enough they will take anything