The National Capital Commission is considering new approaches for dealing with rats in Confederation Park, after bait stations were removed from the green space, said an NCC spokesperson Monday.
Jasime Leduc said the traps were removed without NCC authorization by an unknown source and now the NCC is now considering alternatives.
“The NCC is consulting with other landowners to find a common approach to the problem,” said Leduc.
Bait stations were set up in the fall to solve the rodent problem, which is mainly concentrated along the north wall of the park.
The traps have caused division in the surrounding community. While one side says rats are disgusting and dangerous and should be dealt with, the other side says killing them would be a cruel and arrogant.
Some have also suggested the traps could be dangerous. Leduc said it’s not likely that children or other animals could be harmed by the bait stations, as they’re designed specifically for rats, but it remains a possibility.
She said rat traps may be considered as they consult with professionals about alternative methods. She added the problem with humane approaches is the rats are simply move somewhere else, and the problem remains unsolved.
The NCC is asking visitors to the park to pick up after themselves, in an effort to clean up garbage in the area and cut off the rodents’ food supply. They cited ongoing construction projects and the early spring this year as possible causes for the rat population.
Pest control experts say urban food supply, not breeding, is the biggest problem, and that cleaning up garbage and setting out snap traps would be the best solution.