For many years, rats have plagued New York City and this phenomenon is not new either. Obviously, rats are universally despised due to the hygiene issues that they bring and they aren’t healthy to be around. In fact, even if you’re living in a wealthier part of NYC, you’ll probably encounter rats at some point. They’re everywhere.

Recently, the image below shows a huge Red-tailed hawk devouring a rat with ease on a park bench. This scene was met with delight by New Yorkers, with one even claiming “I need a couple of hawks on my block. I’m Tired of finding chicken bones and rat poop under the hood of my car.” And, while this may have been said jokingly, it would be a cool solution to the city’s rat problem.

Having said this, not everyone was convinced. Apparently, hawks don’t last very long in big cities either. This is because it’s an alien environment for them most of the time, and often these rats are hit with poison. So, they’re effectively eating a toxic substance that may kill them.

Not only this but on a practical level, they’re not ideal either. This same hawk was seen killing a pigeon and in some rare cases, they can even attack domestic pets. In this case, the aforementioned hawk may not be the hero that New York wanted, but it was certainly the hero the city deserved!