# Rats Taking Over Central Park?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 22, 2017, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369 "2017-11-22T04:10:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/21 "2017-11-23T03:29:20Z")

</div>

Get a couple of bobcat pairs, no rats in a 3 years. Of course little dogs, squirrels and small children, would have problems too.  
Seriously where do they all come from? Yea, I know about the birds and the bees. You wouldn’t think there would be enough food or nesting spots for them.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/22 "2017-11-23T04:39:28Z")

</div>

> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Get a couple of bobcat pairs, no rats in a 3 years. Of course little dogs, squirrels and small children, would have problems too.  
> Seriously where do they all come from? Yea, I know about the birds and the bees. You wouldn’t think there would be enough food or nesting spots for them.

Well, in the Central Park zoo, rats were brazenly stealing food from the captive animals!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/23 "2017-11-23T05:01:30Z")

</div>

Jeez, those things must be brave. They should trap them and feed them to the big cats, yummy treats and all. Nah, they are probably diseased or something

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/24 "2017-11-23T09:21:52Z")

</div>

> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#):
>
> We have a new phenomenon happening with the urban wildlife that no one seems to recognize but me …  
> **Urban coyote populations are establishing themselves across the country.**

I’ve heard that in Denver, it’s a growing problem.

But how many coyotes have come down from the mountains and swum across the Hudson, wandered through the lobbies of skyscrapers of Manhatten to get to Central Park.?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/25 "2017-11-23T13:19:50Z")

</div>

The next town over from us suddenly had a rat problem on their hands because of all the new construction. My town is currently updating the water main. I personally haven’t seen any but some of my neighbors have. OTOH we also have a rather brazen coyote population here so maybe that’s why.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/26 "2017-11-23T15:25:12Z")

</div>

> [@friedo](#):
>
> Years ago they re-homed some hawks to Bryant Park to help deal with a rat problem there. It worked really well until one of the hawks made lunch out of a lady’s chihuahua.

> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> You say that like it is a bad thing.

Indeed. A feature, not a bug. 😃

I say: bring on the hawks, and put up signs warning against bringing pets weighing \<20 lbs. into the park.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369/27 "2017-11-23T16:31:39Z")

</div>

> [@RTFirefly](#):
>
> Indeed. A feature, not a bug. 😃
> 
> I say: bring on the hawks, and put up signs warning against bringing pets weighing \<20 lbs. into the **park**.

Bolding mine. IMO you misspelled “city”. 🙂

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rats-taking-over-central-park/802369.md?page=1)