A teenager from South Africa has developed an unusual yet strong bond with a 10-foot long Burmese long python, a bond that has been sustained for two years. The teenager, 11th-grader Simone Naidoo, got the python named Theo after falling in love with snakes at 10 years old. She saw the slithery creatures displayed at a window during a grade school fair.

It's the Chinese Year of the Rat but it is unlikely the animal's status could be elevated above the sewer and loathsome level. Never mind that last year's hit film Ratatouille showed their humorous - and culinary - side and that Mickey Mouse and Tom and Jerry have been a long-time favorites.

The remains of a giant rat, estimated to weigh about a ton, was discovered in Uruguay proving that mammoth rodent once roamed the face of the earth some four million years ago. Archaeologists said they have unearthed the half-meter long skull of the giant prehistoric rat, which by any standard, is bigger than a bull, in a chunk of rock in Rio de La Plata on the coast of Uruguay.

Two professors from the New York University reveal the possibility of putting up a museum celebrating the work and contributions of the city's sanitation workers. Profs. Robin Nagle and Haidy Geismar are pushing for the museum, which they plan to put up after the already-displayed exhibit on the history of the Sanitation Department.

In an attempt to curb the effects of the large flock sizes of pigeons, now identified as "rats with wings," New York City Councilman Simcha Felder announced Monday that a proposal will be submitted calling for a $1000 fine to anyone who is caught feeding the birds. Councilman Felder explained that the proposal was created upon the facts that pigeon droppings contained particular chemicals, specifically ammonia and uric acids, which can corrode city infrastructures, and rust steel structures. The report added extra weight to this statement by furthering that a single pigeon produces an average of 25 pounds of excrement per year.