As NYC continues struggling to combat its ever-growing rat population, city officials are turning to more alternative solutions to try and mediate the problem. Councilmember Shaun Abreu in particular suggested NYC engage in a rat birth control program.
The proposed program which would consist of “ContraPest pellets” would be carried out by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Sanitation. As reported by The New York Post, these ContraPest pellets would be distributed in rat mitigation zones to hit the rats where they are most densely populated.
The active ingredient “triptolide” in the rat contraceptive would work on both male and female rats to sterilize their reproductive systems. More specifically, female rats’ ovarian functions would be affected. Likewise, sperm cell production would be altered in male rats.
The problem is quite serious as mating rats can produce up to 15,000 offspring in one single year. Wildly enough, this is not the first time brith control has been a proposed tactic to mitigate NYC’s rat population. Governor Nelson Rockefeller had declared a contraceptive plan for rats back in 1967. Even Bryant Park and the MTA both tried separate methods not too many years ago. However, the rats have overcome each attempt.
So why does Councilmam Abreu think this go around will be any different? He claims that the contraceptives compounded with additional efforts the city has put forth to mitigate the problem could be key.
“We believe that we need to take a shock-and-awe approach to the rat problem by throwing everything we have at it,” said Abreu. Moreover, he is working closely with scientist and the creator of ContraPest Loretta Mayer, who explained that these pellets contain such a high salt and fat content that rats will opt for them instead of digging through trash, even claiming “its better than pizza.”
Officials hope containing the rat population would prevent further wildlife misfortunes like the death of Flaco the owl, whose necropsy showed signs of rat poison.
What are the cons to this newly proposed bill? Mayer expressed her scaling concerns. Though the cost of the pellets are quite low (about $5/pound), it would be an obstacle distributing enough across the city.