On Thursday, the New York City Council voted yes to a bill aiming to establish a rat contraceptive pilot program which would effectively put rats on birth control.
"Not only are rodents unsightly and can traumatize your day, but they're a real health-related crises," Mayor Eric Adams said.
This comes after the gradual increase of not just the city's rat population, but illnesses caused by the rodents within the city. In 2023, the city's health department recorded a whopping 23 cases of leptospirosis, breaking the record for the highest number of cases within a single year.
"For no less than 12 months immediately after the deployment of the rat contraceptive, the department shall perform monthly inspections of each pilot program area and each pilot program comparison area," reads the bill. "During such monthly inspections of the pilot program areas, the department shall track the amount of rat contraceptive in each rat contraceptive dispenser."
In February of this year, beloved New York City eagle owl Flaco passed away, with rat poison being found in his system post-mortem. Flaco's death, in part, has served as the impetus for passing the new bill.
Not a dry eye in the house at #FlacotheOwl memorial spot at his favorite Oak tree in Central Park, 2/25/24. A truly heartbreaking loss for the community 💔🦉 #RIPFlaco pic.twitter.com/uHl7S2hD2n
— Kelly Keegs (@kellykeegs) February 25, 2024
New York City Council member Shaun Abreu is aiming to find a less hazardous solution to the city's rat population, which is why he sponsored the bill to introduce the rodents to a type of birth control. He also stated that the issue would be more manageable if New Yorkers did their part and properly disposed of their trash.
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