German man found living with 300 rats in tiny apartment

Rats allowed to stay in two-bedroom flat after animal resuce shelter runs out of space

A man has been found living with 300 rats in a tiny two-room flat.

The flat in Munich, Germany, was completely given over to the rodents, with sawdust and straw covering the floor and food bowls laid out for the unusual pets.

Animal rescue workers found nests brimming with hungry babies in drawers, behind cabinets and under the bed.

Judith Brettmeister, from the Tierschutzverein München shelter, in Munich, said: "Apparently the man tried to take care of the rats properly.

“But given the sheer number of rats he ended up out of his depth."

“In all the drawers, in the bed frame and behind the cabinets were nests with babies and they were all hungry.

"There were around 300 in total. A truly horrifying picture.”

The rats were found nesting in drawers, behind cupboards and under the bed (Tierschutzverein München)

A social worker contacted the shelter after the man complained he was having trouble taking care of 20 pet rats at home and wanted to give them up during a hospital visit.

But when rescue workers arrived they found a nightmare scene with the apartment infested with the vermin.

Sawdust and straw covered the floors and cages can be seen (Tierschutzverein München)

Extraordinarily, most of the rats have been allowed to stay in the flat as Tierschutzverein München could only house 20 at its shelter.

The rest of the rodents will be kept and fed in the two-bedroom flat until new owners can be found.