The great blue heron may be the answer to New York City’s infamous growing rat problem… by killing a rodent and devouring it whole in Central Park.
Video of the wild feast is going viral online… with Reddit users nearly freaking out over the graphic display of predator versus prey.
Central Park Blue Heron Eats City Rat Entirely
putu/Private-Neat-3328 inHardcore Nature
Watch the video… According to the original poster, the jaw-dropping incident occurred on Saturday while they were doing some yoga in the park with a friend — and found themselves witnessing a scene they described as “dinosaur-like.”
The bird places the mortally wounded mouse in its beak and begins to swallow the poor creature in a series of gulps, with the outline of the rodent appearing in the bird’s throat, similar to a snake slowly devouring its prey!
The original poster joked… “The battle did not go well for the rat, and the proceedings were not a sight for the faint of heart.”
Great blue herons are quite common in New York, so perhaps the city could give these birds a job.
Although the heron typically prefers to hunt fish… the species also commonly hunts a variety of smaller prey—including reptiles, small mammals, and even smaller birds.
With millions of rats infesting the city, this heron may be in on a new bird-eating trend by adding the rodents to its daily menu. Enjoy your meal!!!