New York City at War with Rat Infestation
Hiring Separate 'Rat Catcher' Officials
New York City is struggling with a rat problem. Recently, shocking footage captured rats crawling all over a sleeping person's body on the subway.
According to NBC New York on the 5th (local time), the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently announced that the rat population nearly doubled compared to 2021. Approximately 60,000 rat sightings were reported in New York last year, which is twice the 30,000 cases reported in 2021.
Recently, footage showing rats crawling all over a sleeping person's body on the New York subway has caused shock. In the video, a rat climbs onto the feet of a man sleeping on a subway seat, then quickly climbs up his arm to his shoulder.
The man wakes up startled by the strange sensation and jumps up upon discovering the rat. Netizens commented that this video, showing rats fearlessly roaming over a person, reflects the current rat problem in New York in a nutshell.
As damage caused by rats continued to be reported, New York City declared war on the rat infestations. Last fall, the city prepared a package ordinance to combat rat swarms. Accordingly, the New York City Department of Health identified areas where rat swarms frequently appear and designated them as "rat suppression zones," requiring reports on rat activity to be submitted to the city council. Additionally, buildings above a certain size were required to designate specific garbage disposal times, and the budget for installing rat traps and related measures was increased.
As rat-related damage grew, New York City even sought to hire a dedicated "rat catcher" official last December, offering an annual salary of $120,000 to $170,000 (approximately 150 million to 220 million KRW). On the 25th of last month, the city announced plans to expand its food waste composting program. The plan involves collecting food waste year-round to produce compost, contributing to rat control and environmental protection.
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