London's Giant Rat: Real or Optical Illusion?

While we gripe about the rats around our light rail construction here, let's pause and be grateful they're at least 'naturally' sized and not monstrous.

This week, London's local headlines spotlighted a 43-year-old resident named James Green who tweeted, "This is the biggest rat I've ever seen in my life," alongside a photo of him holding what looks like a creature straight out of a fairy tale, much more than just a rat. "I found this giant rat dead in a playground. It's hard to believe, but its size is at least that of a second grader," the individual wrote.

Unlike in Israel, in London, it's not uncommon to find massive 'beach rats' that can weigh up to 500 grams and reach 40 centimeters in length. But a rat three times longer? Such a thing has never been heard of even there. That's why several social media platforms claim it's a huge bluff, a severe distortion of reality caused by a photo taken at a misleading angle creating an optical illusion.

Now it's up to the internet to decide for themselves - is it truth or hoax? And what do you think about it?

James Green and the rat he 'captured' (Photo: SWNS)