Recently, a blogger posted a travelogue about Linghu Park in Anqing City, Anhui Province. The blogger mentioned that while visiting the Anqing Zoo within the park, they noticed a sign in the reptile and aquarium introducing "newly arrived animals"—one of which was a nine-pound giant rat. Intrigued by the rat, the blogger bought a 10 yuan ticket, only to be told that the rat had given birth and they couldn't see it. Some netizens suggested a refund after seeing this amusing incident, but the blogger responded, "I'm contributing to the zoo's cause."
On February 4, an Upstream News reporter called Anqing Zoo to inquire whether it was possible to see a nine-pound rat. A zoo staff member said, "There aren't any anymore; the rats have gone to breed." Regarding the species of the nine-pound rat, the staff member revealed, "It's a mutated rat."
When asked for a brief introduction of the nine-pound rat, the staff member replied, "That (exhibitor) is not affiliated with us; they rented our space." Regarding the specifics of the exhibitor, the staff member stated, "I'm not very familiar with them; it's a temporary exhibition, and I don't have their contact information."
According to Tianyancha, Anqing Zoo is a public zoo established in 1956. Originally named Linghu Park Zoo, it was upgraded and renamed in 2006 and has been open ever since. Besides exhibiting various wild animals and popularizing wildlife conservation and scientific knowledge, the zoo also serves as the Anqing Wildlife Rescue Station, responsible for the rescue, relocation, breeding, and scientific research of rare and endangered wild animals in the area.
