NYC is stepping up its game in the fight against rats with a bold new move.
The city council just passed a bill on Thursday that approves a plan to lace rat traps with birth control.
Instead of relying on more poison or traditional traps, NYC is tackling the root of the issue: preventing rats from multiplying in the first place.
The program will use a contraceptive pellet called ContraPest, which will be placed in special containers that only rats can access.
The bill, “Flaco’s Law,” is named after the famous owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo in 2023 and won over New Yorkers’ hearts.
Sadly, Flaco was found dead after accidentally consuming rat poison. This law aims to reduce the rat population without causing harm to other animals, like Flaco.
The pilot program will run for 12 months, with inspectors checking in monthly to see how much of the birth control has been consumed in different neighborhoods.
NYC is hoping this new approach will finally help cut down the rat problem without relying on harmful chemicals.
