"But in a battle between a rat and a squirrel, my money is going to be on the rat."

Darrin Lunde, museum mammalogy maven, opines, in response to musings about the rodents that share the ecosystem that is Central Park.

Mr. Lunde recalled a scene a few years back, around twilight, near the north entrance to the Central Park Zoo: "Someone had strung up a duffel bag full of peanuts, and the place was just swarming with squirrels, but with only one great big brown rat sitting on top of the pile and battling off all the squirrels around him. I still remember that rat."

A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn't think he'd remember. You take me. One day, a few years back, I was walking through the north entrance to Central Park Zoo, and someone had strung up a duffel bag full of peanuts. The place was just swarming with squirrels, but with only one great big brown rat sitting on top of the pile. I only saw him for one second. He didn't see me at all, but I'll bet a month hasn't gone by since that I haven't thought of that rat.