A video of a couple in Paris being approached by an unexpected rodent guest while laying in a park has gone viral on TikTok.
The encounter was captured in a viral video, shared by user @blueflavouredgatorade on July 19, which has received more than 4.1 million views.
The footage shows two people laying on a blanket with their heads turned away from the camera and a pair of sandals beside the blanket. A rodent later appears from the bushes and snoops around the shoes and the edges of the blanket.
It's unclear whether the rodent in the latest viral clip is actually a mouse or a rat. An October 2016 study published in Disease Models and Mechanisms stated that "one of the most obvious differences between rats and mice is in size and weight, with rats weighing roughly about eight to ten times more than mice in adulthood."
Rats and mice are certainly not just unwelcome guests in Paris. Over in the U.S., for the eighth consecutive year, Chicago was ranked first among the top 50 "rattiest cities" in the U.S. in an October 2022 survey conducted by Orkin, the American pest-control company.
The survey ranked various metro regions based on the number of new rodent treatments performed from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022. It found that Chicago was followed by New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco as America's top five rat-infested cities.
"Rodents have always been a prominent feature of the environment and can compromise the public's health," read an October 2015 research briefing from the National Association of County & City Health Officials. It was published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"In addition to potentially carrying parasites and pathogens, rodents have been destroying infrastructure, infesting houses and businesses, and damaging property for centuries," the briefing added.
A message overlaid on the latest viral clip reads: "Sorry to this couple trying to take a nap in the park in Paris."
The rodent is seen moving onto the blanket, standing just inches away from the woman's head, before the clip ends. A caption shared with the post reads: "He so cute tho."
@blueflavouredgatorade He so cute tho
♬ original sound - summer audios
The latest viral footage has sparked debate among users on TikTok, with some scared for the couple.
Mimi posted, "l would just stay dead," and user2956601472128 wrote: "Hell no! My worst fear."
User @tatchanelle and user2778079472511 both commented: "New fear unlocked."
User @abiloveshorror added: "I could never nap in such a open space."
Others were less bothered and thought the rodent was adorable.
User realgm0neyswag posted, "Such a cutie," and mehaekim commented: "They are cuter than the nyc ones."
User burprun wrote, "aww little baby," while locolots added that the animal "was just looking for a friend."
User han posted the rodent must have been saying "sorry to disturb," while @getjinx3dd wrote: "He look polite."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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