Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / March 2008

Rescued Rat is Star Attraction

By Victoria Ashford
Thursday 21st February 2008

An abandoned pet rat, which was dumped in a box at Longleat Safari
Park near Warminster, is to become a star attraction after regaining
full health.

The rat, nicknamed Jules, was very thin, covered in sores and appeared
close to death when she was discovered near to a tollgate on Lord
Bath's estate in October. Keepers at Longleat's Pets Corner adopted
her and have gradually nursed her back to health and she has proved to
be a star performer.

Darren Beasley, head of Pets Corner, said: "It's little short of
miraculous to see how Jules has recovered. She's one of the tamest,
cleverest and most good-natured rats we've ever had here and will be a
real addition to our collection.

"It just goes to show how even the most mistreated animals can recover
given the opportunity - it's just a shame that someone had let her get
into such a state. The dumping of pets is totally unacceptable and we
would urge anyone thinking of taking on a pet of any shape or size to
think extremely carefully about what they are doing before they take
one on.
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http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/latestheadlines/display.var.2060731.0.rescu
ed_rat_is_star_attraction.php