Long-term readers will know that the New Mandala brief often ranges far and wide. For some time now we have sporadically posted material on the “rat explosions” that occur in certain parts of northern and western Burma, and in northeastern India.

Today New Mandala reader Aiontay has pointed me towards a new PBS documentary that explains the rat problem in some considerable detail. There is a good description here.

Jeremy Zipple, the producer, has also helpfully written up some of his thoughts on the experience of making the program. He recalls how they had:

…been chasing rats in Mizoram for two months–catching them with bare hands, storing them alive in cages by our beds, collecting the heads of some in jars of formaldehyde, dissecting others, even occasionally eating one or two. (Yep, smoked rats taste a bit like chicken.) Like most Americans, I had a long-standing phobia of rats, which I needed to overcome fast if I was to survive documenting an epic-sized rodent outbreak on camera.

It sounds like an amazing doco. Before too long a transcript should be available here. Of course, if any New Mandala readers have anything to add please don’t hesitate to weigh in.