Willard is alive and well in NY’s subways

Picture this: you’re waiting for the A train, coffee in hand, when a shadow the size of a house cat darts across the platform. Is it a stray feline? Nope, that’s just one of New York City’s notorious subway rats.

It’s not your imagination—these rodents are growing. In fact, NYC’s rat population is estimated to rival its human population at over 8 million.

Some researchers argue the true figure could be far higher. With an endless buffet of discarded pizza slices and bagel crumbs, these critters have thrived, especially in the subterranean labyrinth of the subway.

A particularly infamous video from 2015 showcased a determined rodent hauling an entire slice of pizza down a subway staircase. “Pizza Rat” became a viral sensation, but that’s just the tip of the tail. Experts believe that rats are getting larger due to abundant food sources and adapting to city life in ways that would make Darwin proud.

Recent reports have recorded subway rats measuring over 16 inches from nose to tail—yes, longer than a foot long sub sandwich. The city’s response has been equally outsized: in 2022, Mayor Eric Adams declared war on rats, hiring a “rat czar” to lead a $32 million effort to reduce the infestation. However, New Yorkers remain skeptical, given the rodents’ uncanny ability to survive everything from poison to poison pizza.

If you thought you’d outwit these whiskered warriors, think again. A 2021 study showed NYC rats displaying signs of intelligence akin to dogs, navigating mazes and avoiding traps with startling success rates.

So next time you spot one scurrying by, don’t ask, “Is that a rat or a cat?” Instead, wonder if they’re plotting to outlive us all. After all, in New York, the rats might just run the show.