India's night rat killers: Hunting shadows that scurry
Tuesday, September 6, 2011 - 00:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
In Mumbai, stalking rats with a metal-tipped pole is a coveted job thanks to the steady pay. But the squeamish need not apply.This city of 20 million people, the frenetic embodiment of India's energy, ambition and chaos, doesn't do quiet very well, even as it pauses for a few hours after midnight to rejuvenate. Tonight, monsoon rains from the Arabian Sea are forcing its thousands of street dwellers to retreat to dank hallways and dimly lit underpasses.