Large rat scurries around grade ‘A’ health inspection sign in window of NYC theater.
It was a real-life “Ratatouille.”
A plump and plucky rat was spotted scurrying around the window sill of a downtown Manhattan theater — right next to a successful health inspection sign with the top grade of “A.”
The large rodent could be seen in a TikTok shared online Saturday night that showed the animal scampering around the front window of Dixon Place, a theatre with a fully equipped bar.
Although the furry fiend was surrounded by rat droppings at the Chrystie Street establishment, the business still boasted the top passing grade for sanitary conditions by the New York City Health Department.
In the TikTok , which was aptly set to “Le Festin” from the “Ratatouille” soundtrack, a woman can be seen tapping the glass to see if the rat would move.
The rat’s tail quickly flicks back and forth as the creature scurries behind the sanitation sign before reappearing on the other side of the window.
Several people filming the creature can be seen in the window’s reflection. All the commotion outside appeared to startle the rat, which then bounded into a potted plant on the floor below before disappearing.
Some TikTok users found humor in the ironic sighting, joking “That’s the chef!” and “That’s just the ratatouille dude, he’s chill.”
But rodent infestations are no laughing matter to Mayor Eric Adams who appointed a “Rat Czar” to tackle the persistent pests in Manhattan, where rats have been running rampant.
Though the rats may be a spectacle of sorts for some — including tourists taking a special late-night sightseeing route past rodent-infested areas — city officials have created new garbage policies and an interactive “rat information portal,” or “rat map,” to try and stifle the growing rat population.
Officials have lauded their latest efforts, claiming reports of rat sightings have decreased significantly compared to recent years.
Before the city began to wage its campaign against the critters, from January to April 2022, New Yorkers called 311 to report 7,400 rat sightings — up from an estimated 6,510 during the same period in 2021 .
