Food shortages due to the closure of restaurants are causing rats to become more aggressive and resort to eating their young, a shocking new report has claimed.
The cannibalistic critters rely on food waste from eateries but with cities in lockdown the angry rodents have resorted to feasting on each other to survive.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the unusual activity has been recorded in a number of American cities in recent weeks.
The CDC's recently updated rodent guidelines say: "Rodents rely on the food and waste generated by these establishments.
"Community-wide closures have led to a decrease in food available to rodents, especially in dense commercial areas.
"Some jurisdictions have reported an increase in rodent activity as rodents search for new sources of food.
"Environmental health and rodent control programs may see an increase in service requests related to rodents and reports of unusual or aggressive rodent behavior."
Rentokil warned earlier this month that rats and mice could be taking over empty buildings in Ireland during lockdown, with Dublin accounting for a third of all rodent call-outs.
The pest control experts said unoccupied buildings provide a warm and safe space for the furry menaces away from humans, providing a "perfect breeding ground".
And closed restaurants are especially at risk as the scavengers will look to break in and raid empty bins.
A Rentokil spokesperson said: "Empty buildings are under serious threat of infestations from rodents during the lockdown period.
"Rats and mice can access premises quite easily, through very small gaps or cracks, and can then settle there and multiply in numbers.
"Where possible, companies should seek to utilise unmanned pest control solutions to combat the presence of these pests in vacant buildings."
