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Subject: The Chawmnu.
From: tonyc posted Sat, May 5 2007, 1:31am 
Read the article to the end: This is a cryptid I've not heard of before.
Also here.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: sinuous_tanystropheus posted Sat, May 5 2007, 2:05am 
Yeah, that is interesting. And the second story you linked has an account of a body. It makes sense biologically - that a recurring event like this would cause a population increase and bring them closer to man. If they're really that big they would almost have to be another species. Good find, and this one seems to stand a good chance of being authentic.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: de_hart posted Sun, May 6 2007, 1:50am 
One species of rare Indian wild pig is only about the size of a pug dog, and I'm wondering if that's the comparison they're using. Also, are they referring to "bandicoot rats (which are not really "bandicoots")?" It's obviously not the typical Rattus rattus, or Rattus norvegicus causing this overpopulation problem.

I've heard tales here for years about giant 5 pound "Chicago rats" and "rail road rats" and even though I've offerred to pay for live ones have yet to see one; I think it's folk-lore, much like all the 8 foot snakes people kill in their yards that rarely are over 4 feet long when examined.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: sinuous_tanystropheus posted Sun, May 6 2007, 11:25am 
Well to collect the bounty they have to at least produce the tail. Hopefully a tail or body will be produced. You could at least get DNA and a pretty good estimate of body size from the tail. Hopefully someone will save it if one gets turned in...
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: Lys posted Tue, May 8 2007, 2:00am 
giant pouch rat?? they get huge could have made way over from africa
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: sinuous_tanystropheus posted Tue, May 8 2007, 5:01am 
Could be a possibility. There was a lot of sea trade between africa and india in ancient times so there was a big possibility for stowaways.

And some african pouched rats have white markings and partially white tails like the Chawnmu mentioned in the second article. Pretty interesting - I didn't know they used african pouched rats to sniff out land mines either.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: Lys posted Tue, May 8 2007, 5:37am 
yea I saw somthing on them on animal planet, its amazing how trained they are
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: de_hart posted Sun, May 13 2007, 1:45pm 
I used to have some pouched rats, and 3 to 5 pounds is kinda big but not like a pig sized rodent like was described. Cane rats maybe, or nutria, but even those aren't all that big...even capybara are only so big. Sounds like folklore to me, but I'd be thrilled to find out otherwise.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: veritech-z posted Sun, May 6 2007, 8:20pm 
did you guys notice that the first link said the last bamboo flowering was in the late fifties, and led to a "20 year rebellion that wasn't settled until 1986"-which is of course 30 years after it started, and the second link said it was in the late 70s? I wonder which one (if either) is accurate. Maybe I'll ask my father in law, he's from South India.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: Greg Solstice posted Wed, May 9 2007, 8:20am 
Interesting, however the second article makes it sound like a "rat-king" from medieval legends. However, a rat that large is certainly probable.
Subject: Re: The Chawmnu.
From: LadyGreenEyes posted Wed, Aug 1 2007, 5:12pm 
I remember a long time ago seeing some program about a couple that raised rats, and some of the ones that were pictured were pretty big. Sounds like a real possibility.


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