Is it possible for humans and rats to coexist? Paris is working to discover the answer

Can humans and rats live side by side?

This is the challenge that Paris city officials are tackling. The French capital, like many large cities, struggles with a significant rat infestation problem.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is setting up a task force to investigate 'cohabitation'—examining how humans and rodents might coexist, as one of her deputies shared during a city council session on Thursday.

Anne Souyris, Paris' deputy mayor overseeing public health, revealed this initiative in response to inquiries from Geoffroy Boulard, the head of the city's 17th district and a member of the center-right Republican party.

Boulard urged the city government to present a more robust strategy to combat the growing rat issue in public spaces.

He has previously criticized Hidalgo, a member of the center-left Socialist Party, for her insufficient efforts to rid Paris of rats, especially during the strikes earlier this year that left trash accumulating throughout the city.

'The presence of rats in public spaces is detrimental to the quality of life for Parisians,' Boulard stated.

Boulard explained he raised this issue after encountering an ongoing study, Project Armageddon, which aims to help manage the city's rat population while also addressing the stigma surrounding rats to improve coexistence with Parisians.

The study is funded by the French government, with the city of Paris also collaborating on the project.

Souyris clarified that the study is focused on determining how humans and rats can coexist in the most effective way, while ensuring it remains tolerable for Parisians.

While rats can transmit diseases, Souyris emphasized that the rats under discussion are not the plague-carrying black rats, but other species that can spread illnesses like leptospirosis, a bacterial infection. She also pointed out some of the city's actions as part of its 2017 anti-rat initiative, including investing in thousands of new trash bins to help keep rats underground.

Souyris later stated on Twitter that the rats in Paris do not present a 'significant' public health risk. She added that she had requested the French High Council on Public Health to provide input on the issue.

'We need expert advice, not political statements,' she commented.

The animal rights group Paris Animaux Zoopolis expressed support for the city's actions.

'Rats are a presence in Paris, as in all major cities in France, so the issue of coexistence naturally arises,' the group stated.

'At PAZ, when we speak of 'peaceful coexistence' with rats, we don't mean sharing our homes and apartments with them, but ensuring that these creatures are not harmed and that they don't cause us disruption. Once again, a very reasonable goal!'

Dinogo has requested more information from the Paris authorities regarding their plans.