NYC is taking a new approach to tackle the rat population by introducing birth control for rodents. Starting next year, the city will launch a pilot program in which contraceptive pellets, called Contrapest, will be placed in specialized traps designed for rats.
The traps will be monitored monthly to assess how effectively the rodents consume the products. The expectation is that the rodent population will reduce over time. According to SkyNews, Contrapest is a plant-based product developed by SenesTech that temporarily renders rodents infertile for about 45 days per dose. Its goal is to humanely control the rat population by reducing reproduction rates and ensuring that the non-toxic product poses no threat to other animals or the environment.
The program will be named “Flaco’s Law,” inspired by the story of an escaped owl from the zoo. The owl died after consuming rat poison, prompting officials to explore safer alternatives for controlling the city’s rat population. New York City is estimated to be home to 3 million rats and has been grappling with infestations for decades.
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Council member Sean Abreu said the city cannot rely on rat poison to control the population.
“It’s salty, it’s sweet, and it has fatty materials within it that attract rats. They’ll bring that back to their burrow for other rats to eat. Over time this would help make sure that rats can’t reproduce.”
“I’m not saying rat contraceptives are going to be a magic wand, but we should see if they work,” he continued. PETA also said that they approved of a humane solution to reduce the increasing rat population in New York City.
Reactions also occurred on X(formerly Twitter), where social media users expressed their thoughts regarding the program.
