A NEW species of giant rat which is as big as a cat has been discovered deep in the jungle.

A NEW species of giant rat which is as big as a cat has been discovered deep in the jungle.

The 32-inch-long, 3lb creature was among a number of exotic animals found by an expedition team filming new BBC programme Lost Land of the Volcano in Papua New Guinea.

The rat, which has no fear of humans, is thought to only live in the Mount Bosavi crater where it was found.

Initial investigations suggest the rat belongs to the genus Mallomys, which contains a handful of other out-sized species.

It has provisionally been called the Bosavi woolly rat, while its scientific name has yet to be agreed.

Mount Bosavi is an extinct volcano that lies deep in the remote Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.

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