The Guardian

Wanted: ‘bloodthirsty badass’ to outwit New York rat population

Hate rats? Are you a “somewhat bloodthirsty” New Yorker with excellent communication skills and “a general aura of badassery”? Then you might have what it takes to be the city’s rat tsar.

The administration of the New York mayor, Eric Adams, posted a job listing this week seeking someone to lead the city’s long-running battle against the rats. The official job title is “director of rodent mitigation”, although it was promptly nicknamed “the rat tsar”, with a salary of $120,000 (£97,750) to $170,000.

“The ideal candidate is highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty, determined to look at all solutions from various angles,

including improving operational efficiency, data collection, technology innovation, trash management and wholesale slaughter,” reads the ad.

The posting is whimsical, but the job is daunting. New York’s leaders have been trying to control the rodent population for generations, with mixed results. The rats have survived a multimillion-dollar effort under the former mayor Bill de Blasio that focused on more litter pickups and better housing inspections.

The city also launched a programme to use dry ice to suffocate rats in their hiding places.

When Adams was the borough president of Brooklyn, he once demonstrated a trap that used a bucket filled with toxic soup to drown rats lured by the scent of food.

Now, his citywide administration is looking for a top rat bureaucrat to become the public face of New York’s eradication and education efforts.

“Cunning, voracious and prolific, New York City’s rats are legendary for their survival skills, but they don’t run this city – we do,” reads the posting. Applicants are expected to have a crafty sense of humour and “to lead from the front, using hands-on techniques to exterminate rodents with authority and efficiency”.

World

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2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://guardian.pressreader.com/article/282187950043673

Guardian/Observer