Urban rats – The unknown residents of the underworld | DW Documentary

Rats are seen as transmitters of disease and are hated in the West. But to this day, we don’t know very much about this feared animal. Science is only just beginning to properly delve into the world of rats and “rehabilitate” their image.

Worldwide, it’s big cities that mainly have a big problem with rats. Few creatures are as present in society’s general consciousness as the rat. They’re immediately associated with chilling tales, and arouse emotions such as fear and disgust. Millions are spent every year in the battle to control them, while scientific approaches to sensible rat management are still in their infancy.

For a long time, the species has been conspicuously neglected by modern science. And apart from the interest that humans have shown in the rat as a laboratory animal, the level of ignorance in the science world is astonishing. Only now, in places as far-flung as Vancouver, Helsinki, Paris, New York and Berlin, are large-scale global research projects attempting to find answers to the fundamental questions concerning the human-rat relationship.

After all, ignorance surrounding our urban co-residents stokes fear. It fuels the “war” against rats that humans have been waging for centuries with all the means at their disposal – a battle that, again and again, turns out to be pointless and counter-productive.

Various research projects have already come up with some ideas about sustainable rat management methods. These would focus on nature and species protection, and recognize rats as part of the urban ecosystem.

The documentary “Urban Rats – Unknown Parallel Worlds” argues for a change in perspective. It poses the question of how humans can coexist in the future with their rodent neighbors, without harm or fear. The film takes a fresh look at what is an extremely controversial, emotionally charged issue.

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35 comments

  1. Domesticated rats are basically tiny dogs if properly socialized in their first weeks of life! They love you with the same intensity, bordering obsession at times. The downside is they can literally become deeply depressed if you leave for a trip… their health and lifespans are also terrible!! Imagine your dogs dying every 2-3 years… they truly are "the heartbreak pet".

  3. Yes, every responsible human on this earth wants peaceful coexistence rather than rat war promoted & ignited by two autocratic ruler of Russia & North Korea…the "two giant demons" in the contemporary world…

  9. They used to have municipal Rat-catchers in Europe.
    I lived most of my adult life in Manhattan. Rats everywhere. Scurrying around Subways. We just coexisted. As long as they weren't in our Apartments!

  14. I've got rats and they are driving me crazy. They sound like I have rude, loud, upstairs neighbors. I don't want to kill anything. I have bears, chipmunks, hummingbirds, bluejays, quale, rats, mice, rabbits, crows, blackbirds, and many migrating birds. Too much wildlife to poison anything and I don't want dead animals in my walls. Thank You for this video. We used to have a pet rat and he was a pretty smart and cool pet. I can't hurt them.

  16. I think this documentary makes me feel like watching Disney Ratatouille animated movie 😂. Also I think of the Rat Race mentality – Rats get all things such as eat, sleep, mate and survive with hyperactivity.

  17. I really hope that we continue to learn more about these beautiful little creatures. ❤ They deserve to be known.

  20. Humans are the problem, not rats, or any other animal you care to mention. Our infrastructure is poorly designed, underfunded and our propensity for food waste is the root cause. If we fix our problems everything else falls into place.

  21. @29:17 The sign in this artist illustration depicts the Parisiennes being sold dogs and cats to be eaten (look at the sign's wording). This is interesting because Europeans are always chiding other groups for eating horse, dogs, cats, etc. But they did this too!

  25. Not kill them please they are most cosmopolitan creature which live in harmony with human creatures,the are used abused and killed without asking twice

  26. Many years ago, I used to keep pigeons, and, before I sealed it properly, rats would enter the coup at night, and kill the squabs (baby pigeons) without eating them. I have ZERO sympathy rats.

  32. Why is Fleas that live on rats not mentioned? Isn't fleas what spread the black plague not rats but fleas that rode on rats fur?

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