THE EDIBLE RAT OF UGANDA.

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1913, Page 2

THE EDIBLE RAT OF UGANDA.

The idea of eating rats is so repul 7 sive to us that we cannot imagine such a thing unless one were driven to it by starvation. The people of'--Uganda, however, eat rats not from necessity, but because they like them. The rat of Uganda, however, is very different from the little creature that gnaws holes in our cupboards. This rat is much larger; it is more than a foot long, and is therefore quite a substantial animal, and as well worth cooking as a rabbit.

The wonderful thing about this rat is that it has two mouths, one behind the other. The first mouth has a pointed rat-like nose, and is furnished with two rows of sharp white teeth, with which it bites off its food and passes it on to the second mouth, which is placed just above the throat. This mouth also has two rows of teeth, but one long slender tongue serves for both sets of grinders.

Rats are not only eaten in Uganda, but they are regarded as delicacy. The King, among his many retainers, has one whose duty it is to furnish the Royal table with rats. A ratcatcher is not an exalted person in this country, but in Uganda he is looked upon with respect, and walks with an air of dignity. He goes out rat-hunt-ing daily, and generally finds his game among the young banana trees, or in any place where fallen fruit or berries may be found; for this ;is what the rat lives on. Slender shoots of bamboo or banana or fruit and leaves are his food, and this diet makes his flesh tender and wholesome.