Toulouse: how the Capitol tobacconist traps rats… then releases them!
Pascal Herrada, manager of the press point Le Temps de Vivre, opposite the Donjon du Capitole, is invaded by rats in his business. He tells.
Pascal Herrada is a philosopher. And also close to animals. Including rats regularly rubbed shoulders with in his press point, Le Temps de vivre, a stone’s throw from the Donjon du, Place Charles de Gaulle, where rodents took up residence in 2021 after the first confinement: “Look, it was long before the strike of garbage men. I think the leftover food scattered all over the place provided them, he explains. At night, they crossed the rue du Poids de l’Huile to enter the basement of the press point, via the pipes. And there, it was the great feast of delicacies stored under the box. They especially devoured the chocolate bars. They have empty shelves! “. Pascal had however obstructed the passage with expanding foam “but after a few days, I saw that they had nibbled away at the foam! “.
Finally, Pascal installed a rat trap: a mesh crate, installed in front of the crate. He also removed all the treats. “Every morning, for several months, I must have had between twenty and thirty rats that I brought back in the metro to release them near the Château de la Reynerie, since I pass by there on my way home”.
Other times, Pascal brought the animal home, just to spend a few hours in the lead with the rodent: “The rat, especially the white one, is an intelligent animal that is easily appreciated. I like this animal that everyone fears and which has become the enemy of Man even though it is not dangerous. It is a victim of its reputation forged over the centuries as an animal synonymous with decadence, epidemic and invasion”.
Today the situation is calm. But Pascal keeps the trap in his reserve close at hand. “I’ve seen a few of them since the garbage collectors’ strike. But for now, the treats stay put. Maybe they got tired of it? “.