Rats invite themselves to the city center of Toulouse
Appeared after the various confinements, the rats circulating on various places of the hypercentre. The City of Toulouse has made all the necessary arrangements.
“When I left the restaurant on Place Wilson, I saw two rats wandering in the thickets,” recalls Suzanne. It was the first time. Right in the city center, it surprised me. I prefer to see Ratatouille on the big screen ”.
Rats frolicking happily in certain squares in Toulouse, on the ramblas, often in the evening … A situation for some time, we have seen a lot of rats in the city center, testifies Elias, restaurateur Place Wilson. As soon as there is a garden with benches where people can sit down for lunch, you can see it. The traders and the passers-by note the phenomenon, a little amazed. These rodents are marked by food waste, that’s for sure ”.
With the persistence of fine weather, the Jaurès ramblas are stormed by the people of Toulouse, seduced by a lunch break in the sun. In the evening, the farandole of rats gives it to their heart’s content: “The other noon, I saw three in a few minutes, says a regular. As soon as they see people, they hide in the thickets. Fortunately I have never seen one walking around town. They are always close to greenery and garbage cans ”.
Vigilance of the City
An identical phenomenon had occurred during the work of the metro. “By disturbing habitats, construction sites are always a source of nuisance, including rats,” notes a merchant from Saint-Georges. The health situation of recent times also explains this proliferation. Many cities, including Paris, are experiencing the same problem ”. According to him, the lack of cleanliness and civility of passers-by is also for a lot. “Many forget the trash cans and throw everything on the ground. Despite the municipal clean-up, there is still waste ”.
Municipal councilor, responsible for the animal file on the city, Françoise Ampoulange takes the situation very seriously: “In my opinion, the first cause remains human incivility,” she says. Too often people forget to pick up their food waste. The City carries out checks very regularly, Place Wilson for example, where boxes of bait are hidden. Providers also control, as a preventive measure, the sewers, the wastewater and rainwater networks. So far, no rat infestation has been reported ”. After the success of the first bait test with ferrets, carried out by the City, on the banks of the canal, the elected representative also indicates that a second will be carried out in November on a square in Toulouse. An experience upstream of the effective rat extermination operation in 2022.