December 5, 2025
Plague or punchline?
Rats Snatching Bats Out of the Air and Eating Them–Researchers Got It on Video
Rats caught snatching bats—pandemic panic vs GTA memes
TLDR: Scientists filmed brown rats in Germany snatching bats mid-air, confirming 13 kills and caches of carcasses, raising disease and conservation concerns. Commenters split between pandemic panic and “SOF rats before GTA6,” while locals added an open-source flex; it matters because cross-species contact could affect bat populations and human health.
Scientists in Germany just filmed brown rats snatching bats mid-flight and dragging them away for midnight snacks. Infrared cameras at a cave in Bad Segeberg logged 30 attempts and 13 kills, plus a stash of 52 bat carcasses. The rats used two tricks: sneaking up on resting bats and doing mid-air intercepts with whisker-guided pounces.
Commenters went full split-screen: fear vs farce. One voice warned of a “great 2030 pandemic,” imagining rat–bat pathogen mashups and medieval-level plagues. Others turned it into a meme, crowning SOF rats and joking we got tactical rodents before GTA6. Locals chimed in, flexing that this is their backyard—and that Schleswig-Holstein piloted open-source in public offices—plus a cheeky geography reminder that yes, Germany stretches north of Hamburg.
Internet sleuths dropped receipts: a previous thread and an archived link for good measure. Meanwhile, the conservation angle simmered: brown rats aren’t native and could hurt bat populations, and cross-species snacking may swap diseases. Cue the fight: is this a shocking urban-wildlife warning, or just nature doing nature? The footage is real, the drama is louder, and the bats… well, they’re not winning.
Key Points
- •First scientific documentation of brown rats hunting bats, including mid-air captures, published in Global Ecology and Conservation.
- •Observations made at two urban roosts in northern Germany (Bad Segeberg and Lüneburg) between 2020 and 2024 using infrared and thermal imaging.
- •At Bad Segeberg, researchers recorded 30 predation attempts, 13 confirmed kills, and found remains of at least 52 bats, some apparently cached.
- •Rats used two strategies: ambushing stationary bats and intercepting flying bats by standing upright and grabbing with forelegs before biting.
- •Researchers warn of potential conservation impacts and pathogen exchange risks; rats are not native to Germany.