Pranksters Frighten New Yorkers With Robotic Pizza Rat

(CBSLA.com) — The New York City pizza rat is back!

A team of pranksters have revived pizza rat's antics with a robotic version and set it loose on the streets of New York City, where it causes passersby to squeal, run, or just stare in astonishment.

Video of the prank was posted to YouTube, where it's been viewed more than 1.7 million times.

The joke pays homage to the original Pizza Rat - a rat filmed dragging a slice of pizza down New York subway station steps. Video of the plucky rodent's dedication to his enormous slice of pizza garnered more than eight million views on YouTube and made the rounds on late-night talk shows.

The prank is among the top trending stories in the Los Angeles area. What would be the local version of a NYC pizza rat - a mouse hauling a Dodger Dog?

You can see how robotic pizza rat was built here.