The Rat King

On August 21’st 2021 a worker from the Russian city of Stavropol saw something shocking. So, the worker saw some baby rats with their tails all tangled up together. They were still alive; the worker untied the rat’s tails and released them. But what do we call this phenomenon? We call this the Rat King. Yeah, it’s kind of a weird name but I don’t know who came up with that name or why. But how do these things happen? Well, there are many theories. One of them says that sometimes the tails of rats get stuck unintentionally because rats have a substance on their tail called ‘sebum’, which is a very sticky material. Another one of them says that rats do cuddle together intentionally when it’s really cold. This theory states that a rat king is a conscious decision made by the rats for survival in the winter. But what happens if the rats don’t get untangled? Well, they can’t move so they can’t look for food, or water or do exercise, they can’t fulfill the basics needed for survival and they die a very slow and painful death. So, what should you do when you see a rat king? Well, the best thing to do is to call the experts like animal rescuers. But if it’s urgent then check the season at that time. If its winter do not untangle the rats. If you see them sleeping, check if they are still breathing. If they are breathing, then leave them alone. They are probably just trying to get some warmth. If they aren’t breathing well either they are dead or are about. In any case, try to rush to the nearest rat vet asap. Remember do not try to check if it’s dead. Waste no time and go to the vet. In this situation, an innocent being’s life is in your hands. Now if this happens in the summer again try not to untangle them yourself unless you are an expert. You may injure their tails while untangling them. But be careful while untangling them. Try to keep the rats calm. The more they move the tighter the knot gets and the harder it is for you to untangle them. Those are the things you have to do if you ever encounter a Rat King. So, if you ever encounter a rat king, you’ll know what to do and you’ll be able to save some innocent lives!