Rat Infestation Spreads to New Taipei, Councilor Reports Office Intrusion

The rodent infestation in Taipei, dubbed the 'Anshu Chaos,' has now reached New Taipei City, with local councilor Momo Yamda reporting a rat entering her office in Banqiao during daylight hours. This incident underscores the severity and pervasiveness of the urban rat problem, which Yamda argues is far from an isolated event.

Yamda expressed concern that the issue, which has already led to cases of Hantavirus in Taipei, is not being adequately controlled. She directly called upon Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an and former Deputy Mayor Lee Shih-chuan, who is now running for New Taipei mayor, to take the problem seriously before it escalates and potentially spreads to densely populated areas in New Taipei.

In response, the Environmental Protection Bureau stated that efforts are underway to manage the rat population. These include educating food vendors in night markets and markets to cover their food waste, enhancing the cleaning of city gutters and sewers, and, as a last resort, using rodenticides. The primary goal is to eliminate food sources and reduce the rat population through physical control methods.