Would You Eat Dead Rat? | National Geographic

in this village in the West African
country of Togo most people eat what
they grow wild animals are sparse on
this mountainous plateau so even little
animals are big-game antelope may not be
appetizing to many people but it’s mild
compared to the delicacy silver noose is
preparing to hunt rats for me the need
of the rat is more delicious than the
meat of the chicken rat is such a
popular dish in West Africa it’s sold in
city markets but in the little village
of katha may the only way to get this
delicacy is to catch it yourself and
these men are willing to do whatever it
takes in the forests of Togo grats keep
to themselves
the best place to look for them isn’t
easy to find miles into the jungle the
hunter see it an abandoned termite Tower
that’s overgrown with brush but the hole
looks very fresh they decide on a plan
to lay siege to the rat stronghold guess
the other four to mother
I’m plugging the exits of the rat so
that he can’t escape once we do that
then we can start digging it’s a lot of
effort for the rodent most of us
wouldn’t want to meet let alone eat but
Silva noose and his friends are getting
closer but here is the bed of the rat
here is the fruit he has eaten today
now we have found the door and we are
sure that he is inside more than an hour
goes by before Silva news can hear the
rat stirring they’ve found their dinner
it’s not only a rat it’s a giant African
pouch trap which can weigh more than six
pounds to some it’s a pest but the Silva
News and his friends it’s a delectable
morsel taboo or not the hunters can
already taste their feast
if a tradition holds that those who hunt
get first claim to their quarry a
fortunate custom when pickings are small
the cooks treat this furry rodent like
tenderloin the rat will be cooked with
ground peppers ginger spices and
tomatoes now the meal is complete they
savor every last morsel except the
intestines even the bones inside the rat
bones or vitamins that keep their joints
and bones healthy but eating rat is
about more than nutrition for Silva news
and his friends it’s also about
community the hunting and cooking are
done together which makes eating the rat
together more of a pleasure