UBC cafeteria rat playfully named "Ike" after the cafe (VIDEO)

Vancouver residents are no strangers to rodents in the city, but it seems like UBC students have had an especially lucky (or unlucky) couple of weeks when it comes to rat visits.

A video that emerged on the UBC subreddit shows a sneaky little baby rat hiding behind a waste disposal area.

You might also like:
• Large rat was handled with tongs in cafeteria at UBC (VIDEO)
• UBC faculty speaking out about next week's return to in-person classes

The creator of the video added some cute sound effects, making it feel more like a cartoon.

While the initial post indicated that “Ike the mouse” was spotted, someone in the comments suggested that the critter was probably a baby rat. The rodent was named Ike because it was heading in the direction of Ike’s Café, located at East Mall in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.

Rats tend to have longer, thicker tails than mice. Judging by the tail on Ike, this rodent was likely a rat.

In a February 2019 inspection report from VCH on Ike’s Café, the eatery was compliant on all counts, except for when it came to whether or not the premises was free of pests.

VCH

One comment on Reddit quipped, “He’s just trying to get an education.” Someone else said, “Food insecurity is really hitting everybody.”

Two weeks ago, another rodent-related story from UBC made the news when a food service worker was caught on video handling a rat with a pair of tongs. VCH said it was investigating that incident.

While this may seem gross or icky, the rodent problem isn’t one that is specific to UBC. You can visit this website, punch in your favourite restaurant, and check out the inspection reports for other Vancouver restaurants yourself.