An animal shelter has been “crippled” by a mouse invasion after a man dumped 150 mice on their doorstep.
It began last week on Monday (November 11) when a bloke laden with 150 mice turned up to the centre. Although that’s a lot of rodents, it was nothing compared to what was coming to the New Hampshire, US, animal sanctuary. “When he first arrived, he said he had 150 mice. Now it’s crippling,” said Lisa Dennison, executive director of the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NHSPCA).
Unfortunately for the centre due to the rapid breeding of the mice, the situation spiralled out of control and very quickly the number of critters rose to nearly 1,000.
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According to the NHSPCA, the “overwhelmed man” brought in the initial batch of mice on Monday but over the next seven days, the NHSPCA staff made continual trips to the man’s home and filled vans with additional tubs of mice, reports CNN.
“We have never seen anything like this. And the longer we wait to get all of the mice out of their terrible living conditions, the greater the likelihood is that the numbers will continue to grow,” said Savannah Alcero, a director at the NHSPCA. “With a gestation period of just around 20 days, mice can reproduce at an alarming rate.”
(Image: AP)
Now staff face a desperate battle to get the mice rehomed and sent off to permanent homes. “We were separating the males and females,” Dennison told CNN. “And now we have many females on pregnancy watch because they breed rapidly.”
So far 18 of the mice have been adopted, with several others sent to regional welfare organisations.
Brits were recently told to brace for a mouse invasion as rodents seek warmth indoors. Luckily John Stewart from Pelsis UK, an expert on sustainable pest prevention, dished out top tips to keep these critters at bay.
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“Mice are among the most problematic pests, particularly during the winter when they move indoors in search of a safe environment,” says John.
“Once they’ve found a suitable space with access to food and water, they can quickly establish themselves, making it essential to address any potential issues as soon as possible.”
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