The Chinese government is notoriously close-lipped when it comes to bad news. Which is why many people were alarmed when China recently admitted to having a massive problem with an overpopulation of the Giant gerbil in remote Xinjiang Province. According to official reports, the population of Giant gerbils had exploded to at least a billion by some estimates, and had affected five million hectares of land (about the size of Costa Rica).
The Giant gerbil is a jumbo size cousin to the familiar pet gerbil. (I have had many pet gerbils. They are wonderful little creatures.) The Giant gerbil is basically the same in looks, temperament, and behavior, but it is about 12 inches long.
