Rats chasing women out of their house

Recently, Suzan Dunkley and her daughter Tiffany Brown had plans of enjoying a meal of tin mackerel and rice, but watched in shock as a group of what they call giant rats took the tin and tried to nibble their way through it.

"When mi take a stock all the sardine dem draw way too. Dem draw it away and put inna big hole whe dem make inna di house. We never bother eat it because dem did urinate on the tin dem and mi never waan we catch any disease," Dunkley said.

Physical Attacks

Dunkley and Brown, who have lived on a premises in Torrington Park for the past two years, said they are constantly plagued by the rodents who they said are now physically attacking them.

"Mi really can't stay here so. Mi come here come live with nuff furniture and dem all bite up mi chest of draw. Sometimes mi deh pon di bed and feel dem a crawl up on we. If we left all food items in any bag anywhere yuh hear dem all over di place. We buy rat poison but dat nuh work. Di odda day mi feel something bite mi on mi ears and mi had to flick it off," she said.

The 42-year-old mother said she and her daughter were living in another section of Kingston but had to relocate following an incident of violence. Dunkley said they were assisted by church members who offered to pay the $3,000 rent for their current home. Brown, 19, said although they are extremely grateful, she does not think they can stay there much longer.

"More time, we use machete and chop dem up but as one dead a next one born. It look like a di gully dem a come out. Mi waan move but we can't afford it and where we used to live before get capture. Right now, yuh see how di place look dirty. Nuh matter how we clean it up, by the time we go town go sell and come back, dem pull it up," she said.

She added, "We just waan somewhere where the rent is like the same $3,000 because we can't afford anything else right now."