Village Moves to Escape Rats

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) - A village of 800 people in northeastern Iran tried to win the rat race, but the rats won, so the villagers are moving.

The rats overran the village of Maskan in Khorasan province two years ago and have been leaving their mark ever since, the Fars News Agency reported.

After trying to rid the village of the pests, the people of Maskan finally decided to leave and start life in a new location, some 20 miles (30 km) away on land donated by landlords and the government, according to Fars.