– We can’t poison our way out of this, we can’t kill ourselves out of this, said Shaun Abreu in April. He is one of the people in the city council who was behind the proposal for a new method to get rid of more of the rats in the city of millions. On Thursday last week, the city council in New York decided to test contraception in the fight against the rats. Special containers with the contraceptive ContraPest must be placed in two places in the city for one year within 180 days. Inspectors must check every month how much of the agent is eaten. New York has over 8 million inhabitants. And even more millions of rats. Photo: Reuters Hubro on the run got rat poison in his stomach Concern for other wild animals was an important reason for the proposal to give the rats birth control. In New York, many people were upset when Flaco the hubby, who had escaped from the Central Park Zoo last year, was found dead in February this year. Hubroen died when he flew into a building in the Upper West Side. The autopsy showed that he had herpes from eating pigeons. But more importantly; he had four different rat poisons in his body. He was probably very ill when he flew into the building, according to the Central Park Zoo. Veterinarian and senior researcher Cecilie Mejdell at the Veterinary Institute says rat poison has been found in cats, dogs and wild animals and birds in Norway. Photo: Eivind Røhne Veterinarian and senior researcher Cecilie Mejdell at the Veterinary Institute is responsible for animal welfare. She confirms that rat poison has been found in both dogs, cats and wild animals and birds in Norway as well. – Therefore, it is good if you can avoid using poison to overcome rats. It’s not particularly humane either. The poison makes the rats limp and they die slowly from internal bleeding. The fact that they become lethargic also means that they are more easily taken by predators – who thus also get the poison in them, she says. Rats caught in Chicago in the USA. Photo: Jose M. Osorio / Zuma Press Inhibits the ovaries The contraceptive ContraPest is plant-based and must be non-toxic. This means that the ovaries of mother rats do not work as they should. In father rats, sperm production is reduced, according to the manufacturer Senestech. In rats, which have many, large litters of young a year, this can thus be effective. But the remedy doesn’t last forever, so the rats must always be refilled. Appointing “rat general” The mayor of New York has declared war on the rats and appointed his own “general” to lead the war. Last week, the city council decided to test rat prevention in two areas that are particularly plagued by rats. It is currently not known what area it will be. A third area must be a “control area”. Contraception for rats has also been tried in New York in the past. But it hasn’t worked so well. According to Shaun Abreu, the city was too impatient and too bad. This time he hopes it will go better. – The food is salty, sweet and contains a lot of fat, which is attractive to rats, he says. Rats are usually overcome with poison, or clap traps, as here. But in New York they will now try contraception. Photo: Espen Bierud / news Garbage bags with rat food Garbage disposal is an important explanation for the rat problem in New York, according to National Public Radio. Instead of rubbish bins, it is common to have rubbish bags that occasionally pile up on the pavement. This makes it easy for rats to get hold of food. In the 1960s and 70s, New York used trash cans with lids. But because they were made of metal, they made too much noise and the garbage bags returned, according to the radio station. But soon the residents will again use rubbish bins. From 12 November, cans of 200 liters or less will be used instead of loose sacks in the streets, reports news channel PIX11. – The most important thing is to stop the supply of food, says Abreu. There are also many rats in Norwegian cities, including Bergen and Oslo. Photo: Rune Christoffer Holm / news Many rats also in Norwegian cities – In the city center there is a high density of rats, something that is visible on the surface, especially in the evening and at night, writes press contact Hanne Sofie Fremstad in the Urban Environment Agency in Oslo municipality. She writes that both the municipality and private garden owners are trying to overcome the rats, but that they are dependent on most people taking responsibility and not throwing food on the ground. According to Fremstad, the Urban Environment Agency knows about the contraceptive to be used in New York, but that it is too early to answer whether it is appropriate to use it in Oslo. “Interestingly, ContraPest is not approved in Norway, says the Norwegian Environment Agency. But damage manager Stein Norstein at the pest company Anticimex thinks it seems interesting. – Especially in areas that are difficult to secure against rats, such as the sewage system. It is more humane than poison and if it is also not harmful to other animals or the environment, then it is exciting, says Norstein. Published 01.10.2024, at 16.07
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The rats in New York will receive birth control instead of poison – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
