Two billion rats have run away from their flooded homes in central China. As they move across the land they have been destroying crops.
The rats have spread out across 20 counties in central Hunan Province, gnawing on crops and roots as they search for new homes.
Locals have tried to stop the rats. One district says that residents there had killed 2.3 million rats alone.
PHOTO: AFP
"It's like the mopping up by enemy troops in wars. We have nothing left," said Yin Xinjin, 65.
The rat plague began on June 23 when floods lifted the water level on Dongting Lake. The rat holes on the islands were below the water, and so the rats ran away.
As well as destroying crops, the government is worried that the rats could be dangerous to the locals' health.
中國中部，二十億隻老鼠從淹水的家中傾巢而出。牠們猖獗穿越農田，將農作物破壞殆盡。
這些老鼠在湖南省二十個縣流竄，尋找新家的同時，也咬壞農作物與植物根莖。
當地居民努力停止鼠患。其中一區表示，光是這區的居民就殺了兩百三十萬隻老鼠。
六十五歲的尹信金（音譯）說︰「宛如戰爭被敵軍搜括。我們一無所有了。」
鼠患肇始於六月二十三日。當時水災造成洞庭湖水位上升，島上的老鼠窩都遭大水淹沒，引發老鼠大逃亡。
除了農作物遭殃外，中國政府也擔心老鼠會危害當地人民健康。
（翻譯︰賴美君）
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