Taipei City Shuanglian Station Linear Park Rat Bait: Citizens Worry Pets Might Accidentally Ingest Poison

Central News Agency (Reporter Liu Jian-bang, Taipei 6th) Discussions have arisen regarding rat infestations in Taipei City. Regarding the current situation at the linear park next to MRT Shuanglian Station, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councilor Lin Liang-chun stated that the Environmental Protection Bureau has placed bait in rat hole passages and ground bait boxes. Citizens are indeed concerned that pets might accidentally lick the rat poison washed away by rain after a downpour. DPP Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun previously mentioned on Facebook that some citizens found rat poison in the flowerbeds of the linear park next to MRT Shuanglian Station. When interviewed by the Central News Agency today about the current situation, Lin Liang-chun said that the city government is currently sealing rat holes and placing bait inside the passages of the rat holes, hoping the rats will die after consuming the poison. Lin Liang-chun stated that the city government sent personnel to clean and disinfect the area at the end of April, and it is estimated that personnel will be sent again in two weeks for another cleaning and disinfection, to check the status of previously placed rat poison, and to investigate whether rat carcasses have appeared nearby. She said that she received complaints from citizens living near Minsheng West Road, where there are many restaurants and snack bars. Citizens mentioned that they have caught rats on sticky traps at home since January this year, and recently they have been catching one to two rats every day, which is very exaggerated. Lin Liang-chun stated that citizens have indeed observed an increase in the number of rats. The Environmental Protection Bureau conducts annual surveys of rat density and estimates the total number of rats in Taipei City by deploying rat poison or equipment. However, she questioned whether the bureau might have underestimated the number by not fully grasping the rat breeding situation, and the Environmental Protection Bureau should explain this to the public. Regarding the rat poison placed in the linear park next to MRT Shuanglian Station, Lin Liang-chun said that although the Environmental Protection Bureau placed the poison in rat hole passages, there were also bait boxes placed on the ground. However, it rained heavily in Taipei yesterday, and citizens are indeed concerned whether the poison might spread to the ground after being washed away by rain, leading to pets accidentally touching it and then licking their paws and ingesting the poison after returning home. She said that the city government should also explain to the public whether the relevant rat prevention measures have been effectively implemented. Furthermore, she previously received a report from the Environmental Protection Bureau stating that the rat bait was not placed in boxes, but during a city government press conference yesterday, it was mentioned that it was. She questioned why this was not done earlier and was only modified after public attention was drawn to the rat infestation, and the city government should explain all these matters to the public. (Editor: Long Bo-an) 1150506