Christian Message Boards: Record drought driving rats to roam affluent Beverly Hills & more

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Posted by Kindgo (Member # 2) on :

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Weekend News Today
Lead: Faith
Source: CNN/AP web page
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Tue Jul 23,2002 -- A record drought has affluent Los Angeles residents facing rats, lots of them. Dry conditions have driven rats from their usually well-hidden nests to forage for water and food in even the wealthy neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades. "I was terrified," Angelita Llerena said of her second encounter with rats in the 27 years she has lived in Pacific Palisades, where the median home price exceeds $800,000. The unwelcome guests nibbled her African violets and dirtied the gleaming white tiles of her kitchen floor. And they seemed to feel right at home.
4 years without adequate rainfall have left a broad quilt of browned lawns, withered crops and scorched forests across much of the United States. This year, the drought is cutting into the rats and other animals' usual water and food sources. That's forcing the rats to make daring forays into well-manicured backyards and trendy restaurants in their effort to survive. 6 restaurants along the Santa Monica Promenade have temporarily closed in recent weeks because of rat infestations -- an unusually high number in this affluent popular dining and entertainment district, health officials said. Those officials and private exterminators have also reported increased calls from residents about rats and other vermin. While the so-called roof rats don't usually bite unless cornered, they can carry fleas that cause murine typhus -- a flulike disease marked by headaches and a rash. web page