A police operation at Auckland Domain ended with a much better outcome than expected on Friday morning.
What was initially feared to be a pretty grim discovery turned out to be… a rat.
Police said that items found near the park had sparked concerns they could be human remains, but after cordoning off the area and investigating, officers confirmed it was just a dead rodent.
Parts of the park near Domain Drive were taped off earlier in the day as police checked out the scene.
Officers in boiler suits were reportedly spotted near the main entrance by Auckland City Hospital, with onlookers saying they saw “crime scene tape” going up.
A few passersby shared their relief after all was revealed in a Reddit post.
“I drove past that this morning,” one person wrote on the day. “They had the blue tent out by the gate by the hospital. This is definitely a better outcome than I was expecting.”
Another said they “saw everything cordoned off… and a man walking around in a boiler suit.” They “instantly thought someone had died.”
Naturally, others had questions. “How big was that rat??” one person asked.
While another thought someone “must’ve just smelt something dead and saw a bit of hair before freaking out and calling the cops.”
The scene was cleared by Friday afternoon, with police confirming there was no further risk to the public.
