Additional Coverage:
- Video Shows Great Blue Heron Devouring Central Park Rat Whole (newsbreak.com)
New York City’s notorious rat problem may have found an unexpected natural solution—a Great Blue Heron was spotted in Central Park consuming a rat entirely. The moment captured on video quickly went viral, shocking social media users with its vivid display of nature in action.
The video shows the heron defeating the rat and swallowing it whole, engulfing the creature in a few gulps, with the rat’s outline visibly pressing against the bird’s neck—a sight reminiscent of a snake’s slow consumption of its prey. The person who recorded the video described the event as “dinosaurian” while they were practicing yoga in the park with a friend.
Commenters on the video noted the harsh reality of the predation, with the original poster stating, “The battle did not go well for the rat, and the process was not a sight for the faint of heart.”
While Great Blue Herons are commonly seen throughout New York City and are typically fish eaters, they are known to broaden their diet to include reptiles, small mammals, and even other birds. With the city’s ongoing struggle against a burgeoning rat population, the heron’s adaptation to include these rodents in its diet could be a natural boon.
As the rats continue to be a challenging pest, the herons might just be picking up a new culinary preference. Bon appétit to our feathered friends!
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- Video Shows Great Blue Heron Devouring Central Park Rat Whole (newsbreak.com)