Taipei''s Shuanglian Station Linear Park Rat Bait Raises Concerns Among Citizens About Pets Accidentally Ingesting Poison

Central News Agency (Reporter Liu Jian-bang, Taipei, 6th) Taipei''s rat infestation has sparked discussion. Regarding the current situation of the linear park next to MRT Shuanglian Station, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Councilor Lin Liang-chun said that the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) has placed bait in rat holes and ground bait boxes. Some citizens are indeed worried that after heavy rain, pets might accidentally lick the rat poison washed away by the rain. Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun of the DPP had previously mentioned on Facebook that citizens found rat poison in the flower beds of the linear park next to MRT Shuanglian Station. When interviewed by the Central News Agency today, Lin Liang-chun was asked about the current situation and said that the city government is currently sealing rat holes and placing bait inside the channels of the rat holes, hoping that rats will die after consuming the poison. Lin Liang-chun stated that the city government had dispatched personnel to the area for disinfection and cleaning at the end of April, and it is estimated that personnel will be dispatched again in two weeks for another cleaning and to check the status of previously placed rat poison and search for rat carcasses 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 been catching rats with sticky traps at home since January this year, and recently they have been catching 1 to 2 rats every day, which is very exaggerated. Lin Liang-chun stated that citizens have indeed observed an increase in the number of rats, and the Environmental Protection Bureau annually investigates rat density by deploying rat poison or equipment, estimating the total number of rats in Taipei based on a formula. However, she questioned whether the EPB might have underestimated the number of rats by not fully grasping their breeding situation, and the EPB 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 EPB placed the poison in rat hole channels, there were also bait boxes placed on the ground. However, due to heavy rain in Taipei yesterday, some citizens are indeed worried that the poison might spread to the ground after being washed away by the 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 EPB stating that the rat bait was not placed in boxes, but at a city government press conference yesterday, it was mentioned that they were in boxes. She questioned why this was not done earlier and was only modified after public attention to the rat infestation, and the city government should explain this to the public.