The bizarre Chicago ‘rat hole’ tourist attraction may not be what it seems
Origin of unusual Chicago landmark debunked
- Chicago's peculiar 'rathole' imprint in the Roscoe Village neighbourhood, believed to be 20-30 years old, has had its mysterious origins re-evaluated by researchers.
- The landmark gained widespread attention after comedian Winslow Dumaine shared a photo on X, leading to increased tourist visits and tributes.
- Following complaints from neighbours and an attempt to fill the impression, city workers removed the original sidewalk slab, though a commemorative plaque remains at the site.
- Researchers from the University of Tennessee, New York Institute of Technology, and the University of Calgary published a paper suggesting the imprint was most likely created by a squirrel or a muskrat, rather than a rat.
- The study concluded that the imprint's limb and paw measurements were too large for a rat, with the Eastern grey squirrel identified as the most probable suspect, leading to a proposal to rename it the 'Windy City Sidewalk Squirrel'.