Giant rats as big as cats have killed and eaten two babies in separate attacks in South Africa's squalid townships this week.
A small child is believed to have been killed by a giant rat in Soweta township near Johannesburg - the dirt and squalor is thought to attract the animals

Lunathi Dwadwa, three, was killed as she slept in her parent's shack in the Khayelitsha slum outside Cape Town and another girl was killed in Soweto township near Johannesburg the same day.
Little Lunathi was sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor of her family's breeze block and corrugated iron home on Sunday night when she died. Her puzzled parents didn't even hear her scream.
Lunathi Dwadwa, three, was the victim of a giant rat attack - Courtesy Dan Newling

When her mother discovered her lifeless body, she saw that her daughter's eyes had been gouged out.

Bukiswa Dwadwa, 27, said: 'I can't forget how ugly my child looked after her eyes were ripped out.

'She was eaten from her eyebrows to her cheeks, her other eye was hanging by a piece of flesh.'

Her father Mncedisi Mokoena said police told him: 'Nothing could have done that but rats'

And today police revealed that a baby girl died in the Soweto township when she was attacked by rats while her teenage mother was out with friends.

A giant rat in South Africa, much like the ones which are thought to have killed two babies this last week

'We were called to the scene of the death of an infant due to a rat attack on Monday morning at around 9am,' said police officer Bongani Mhlongo.

'The mother of the child was arrested on charges of culpable homicide and negligence.'

The deaths appear to be part of a spate of deadly rat attacks in the country.

Last month, 77-year-old grandmother Nomathemba Joyi died after giant rats chewed off the right side of her face.

Residents of South Africa's impoverished townships say the giant rats grow up to three-foot long, including their tails, and have front teeth over an inch long.

The suspects in the baby attacks are believed to be African Giant Pouched Rats, a species only distantly related to UK rats, but native to sub-Saharan Africa - and the biggest in the world.

They are nocturnal, omnivorous and can produce up to 50 young a year. Some tribal people breed them for food. They thrive in the townships' filthy conditions and feast on residents' uncollected rubbish.
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Dwadwa

I thought playmode said south africa is heaven on earth.

May the soul of the rat victims rest in peace.

olabukola:

I thought playmode said south africa is heaven on earth.

May the soul of the rat victims rest in peace.

^^^Don't mind that man. I've noticed he mainly seems to find and post negative stories about Nigerians in South Africa (uses this as a camouflage to display his hatred for Igbos: even complained once about their mode of dressing and speaking ). He hardly has anything complimentary to say about Nigerians in South Africa, to the point he's sometimes ASHAMED TO IDENTIFY HIS NATIONALITY. For every negative story about Nigerians, their are tons of positive ones, but the way he goes on you'd think one would be hard-pressed to find anything good to say about Nigeria.
Though i've noticed he's toned down his criticisms of late.

No matter where i am or who i'm discussing with, i'll always identify myself as a PROUD NIGERIAN (inspite of our failings as a country), and whoever has a problem with that can go take a leaping dive into lake tanganyika for all i care.

@ Topic: I can't stand those creatures. Urghh . Just disgusting. I stayed with a friend in Agege some years back, and noticed the Nigerian rats (and i'm not talking of our politicians) are getting just as big and bold as their South African cousins, and i guess we're lucky so far not to have experienced such a thing. Nasty creatures them rats.

May the souls of those poor kids rest in peace.