Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Graphic Photo Shows Bloated Rat Monster Washed Up Near East River
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 23, 2012
Modified Jul 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photo by Denise Ginley
Yesterday we received three graphic photos of this above creature on the shore of the East River. Our tipster wrote, "Is this another incarnation of the Montauk Monster, or just the biggest rat in the city?" The animal was under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side, and was "maybe two feet, a bit more perhaps, head to tail."
The first reported "Montauk Monster" was spotted in 2008, and since then some more similar animals have washed up in different locations, and with each one new theories are tossed around: a turtle without its shell, a raccoon, a dog, a pig, movie props, lab tested animal from Plum Island, and so on.
Of course, the government (and annoying rational people) would like the public to believe that each of these washed up "monsters" are just dead bloated animals. But our source in the comments section of AboveTopSecret.com tells us this photo clearly shows a R.O.U.S. that drowned during the Giant Mutant Urban Rat Army's special skills swimming test. Our future overlords are clearly honing their skills before they follow through with Phase IV of their takeover plan, and we wouldn't doubt if they were behind the leaked photos of giant rats that have gone viral in recent months.
Tagged
east river
montauk monster
rat
rous
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .