In response to the growing rat population, Lyon is bringing back a technique that's 3,500 years old. In some neighborhoods of the 8th district of Lyon, residents were fed up with seeing these rodents take over gardens, sidewalks, and trash cans, sometimes right in broad daylight. As traditional traps weren't cutting it anymore, an age-old method has been revived: releasing ferrets.
Specifically, the operation lasts about two hours. Ferrets are brought in near the tunnels dug by the rats. As natural predators, they dart into the tunnels to drive the rodents out, where a specialist captures them by hand. It's simple, effective, and almost surgical.
An age-old method revived
The ferret isn't just a gimmick; it's a historical ally against rodents. Domesticated over 3,500 years ago, this mustelid...
– cousin to the skunk – has already been used to protect crops. Today, the technique has been adapted for urban settings. We’re not talking about some quirky experiment; it's a proven know-how that finds new utility in tackling the health challenges of big cities.In the concerned neighborhood, residents describe a situation that has become unlivable: flowerbeds turned into Swiss cheese, trash cans ripped open, rats everywhere. A proliferation worsened by roadwork or trash dumping on the ground, which displaces and attracts colonies.
750 rats captured in three months
The numbers speak for themselves: 750 rats captured in three months. This operation has been coordinated particularly with Grand Lyon Habitat, whose hygiene and safety manager...e; points out the impact of construction sites and waste on the movement of rodents. The captured animals are then euthanized, in accordance with health protocols.
The intervention is expected to continue until November. While the method might come as a surprise, it stands as a tangible response to a very real problem. In Lyon, ferrets are no longer just cute mascots: they have become the new sheriffs of the urban underground.
Source: France Info