From livestock to rat breeding, he gains confidence - and cash

A once-impoverished farmer turned to breeding a rare animal in his hometown - bamboo rats - hoping to bring a measure of prosperity both to his neighbors and himself.

Xiao Ling, 38, a farmer in Hongxing community, a village in Chengmagang, Hubei province, brought in 117 mating pairs of bamboo rats on Wednesday to start his breeding operation.

The rats are expected to produce babies early next year, bringing their numbers up to 600 and earning about 60,000 yuan ($8,800) in profits by the middle of next year, when the second batch is delivered.