In Chicago’s Roscoe Village sits the so-called “rat hole” – an imprint in the sidewalk long claimed to be the remains of a trapped rodent, a mafia mark, or a supernatural relic.
Tourists left coins around it. Local lore grew. Then, in 2024, city workers replaced the slab, leaving only a plaque at the site.
Now, researchers from universities in Tennessee, Calgary, and New York Institute of Technology have weighed in. By comparing the dimensions and anatomy visible in online photos, they propose the culprit was a squirrel or muskrat, not a rat. Claw shapes, limb length, and absence of a distinct tail imprint all point away from the rodent we expected.
No dark ritual. No gangster footprint.
Just a misguided leap by a furry urban creature.
In the city of skyscrapers and secrets, the biggest twist is: the silence of ordinary nature.
