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Opossums Overrun Brooklyn, Fail To Eliminate Rats

__roo writes "In a bizarre case of life imitates the Simpsons, New York City officials introduced a population of opossums into Brooklyn parks and under the boardwalk at Coney Island, apparently convinced that the opossums would eat all of the rats in the borough and then conveniently die of starvation. Several years later, the opossums have not only failed to eliminate the rat epidemic from New York City, but they have thrived, turning into a sharp-toothed, foul-odored epidemic of their own."

14 of 343 comments (clear)

  1. The obvious solution by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Based on my experience, automobiles seem to work wonders on these things. Clearly, we just need to bring in more automobiles to New York.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:The obvious solution by Locke2005 · · Score: 5, Funny

      The automobiles aren't really killing them. Those flattened possums are just playing dead; I see them get up and walk away all the time... or was that Wiley Coyote? I forget.

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  2. Hipsters by Sonny+Yatsen · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just tell the hipsters in Brooklyn that it's totally ironic to wear live Opossums on their heads. Kill two birds with one stone.

    --
    My postings are informational and does not constitute legal advice. Act on it at your risk.
    1. Re:Hipsters by Pojut · · Score: 5, Funny

      More like kill two sharp-toothed, foul-odored epidemics with one stone.

    2. Re:Hipsters by Abstrackt · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mod this post up!

      How very meta.

      --
      They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance. - Terry Pratchett
  3. Obligatory Simpsons by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just bring in a colony of ferocious lions to eat the possums. When the lions become a problem, bring in gorillas to fight the lions. Then in winter the cold will kill the gorillas. Problem solved!

  4. Re:as always, humans are weak in the mind by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's a mighty nice soapbox you have there.

    With a stick and some string, you'd have an even better possum trap.

  5. Re:Alligators by julesh · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bring in alligators to eat the opossum, and then in the winter, they'll all freeze to death.

    A friend keeps singing a song to her kid about an alligator going snap. I keep telling her she'll need liquid oxygen to achieve that, but I don't think she's got the message.

  6. Re:possum is a food group here in alabama. by dkleinsc · · Score: 4, Funny

    Badgers? Badgers? We don't need no stinkin' badgers!

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    I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  7. And now i will imitate the Simpsons by shadowrat · · Score: 4, Funny

    HA HA!

  8. Re:possum is a food group here in alabama. by RobertB-DC · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seriously though, no one in their right mind down here would try to destroy a rat problem with a possum problem. Matter of fact, anyone that doesn't call them 'possum' doesn't really have any experience with the nasty things

    I'm with you -- what the hell were they thinking? Anyone from south of the Mason Dixon line would know damned well that turning possums loose on NYC would lead to complete chaos. The possum's preferred meal is Your Garbage, and a NYC alleyway is a possum's smorgasbord.

    But I do have an alternate theory. Someone from the Big City came down South and said something stupid about the size of our "rats". Someone from the Little Southern Town said, "We call 'em 'possums', and they'd eat your so-called Noo Yawk rats for breakfast". The city slicker promptly requested a truckload be delivered, and my cousin Bubba gladly obliged... knowing exactly what lay in store for Mr. Smarty-Pants from the city.

    Or it could have been an evil plot to wreak toothy, naked-tailed revenge for the wrongs inflicted upon the South during the Civil War... oh, sorry, I mean "War of Northern Aggression". YMMV.

    --
    Stressed? Me? Of course not. Stress is what a rubber band feels before it breaks, silly.
  9. Re:Common sense... by Albertosaurus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe I have the benefit of experience, having lived in the south and all, but WHO WOULD BE SO F#$%ING STUPID AS TO USE POSSUMS FOR PEST CONTROL?

    New Yorkers, apparently.

  10. Re:Wild Animals Should Stay In the Wild by treeves · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hmmmm....why not split the difference and use a .2215? Are they hard to find?

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    ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  11. Re:possum is a food group here in alabama. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Excuse me, kind sir, but could you kindly tip this garbage receptacle at such an angle as to let me escape my confinement? I would be mighty grateful, if so." That would help; as would a tip of his top hat. He also wears a monocle.