To address the area's rat population, the New York City Council recently passed a bill for a pilot program that will use birth control on rats.
PIX11 News reported this new strategy came about in response to a recent wildlife issue potentially stemming from rat poison. A beloved NYC fixture, Flaco the owl, died earlier in 2024, and rat poison was found in his system.
The bill's sponsor, New York City Council member Shaun Abreu, said they're searching for more ethical and humane ways to address the rat problem. Abreu has previously worked with ContraPest, a kind of birth control.
In addition to the pilot program, Abreu stated that New Yorkers can do their part to help the problem by properly disposing of their garbage in containers. This would help make the contraceptive more effective.
Dealing with detrimental populations of animals, including invasive species, is an issue in many places. This strategy aims to decrease the rat population over time while keeping other animals, like companion pets and wildlife, safe from other more toxic treatments, such as rat poison.
According to PIX11 News, they spoke with an experienced veterinarian who said ContraPest was used in the city before but wasn't practical at the time.
The new bill dictates that there be at least two pilot program areas and one comparison area, all with similar building types. Buildings in the program areas must be largely residential, and most of them have to require residents to set out waste in containers.
"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," the new bill stated.
"During such monthly inspections of the pilot program areas, the department shall track the amount of rat contraceptive in each rat contraceptive dispenser," it added.
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