NYC Rat Czar leads public 'rat walks' to fight city's rodent problem
FOX 5 New York
[{'start': '0.560', 'end': '5.040', 'text': 'Earlier this week, Mayor Adams declared'}, {'start': '2.560', 'end': '7.120', 'text': 'he won the war on rats after no evidence'}, {'start': '5.040', 'end': '9.519', 'text': 'of vermon was found at a Brooklyn'}, {'start': '7.120', 'end': '11.280', 'text': 'rowhouse. But can the rest be said the'}, {'start': '9.519', 'end': '12.639', 'text': 'same for the rest of the Big Apple? I'}, {'start': '11.280', 'end': '14.960', 'text': "don't know about that. Fox's Richard"}, {'start': '12.639', 'end': '17.440', 'text': 'Govas took a walking tour with the'}, {'start': '14.960', 'end': '20.000', 'text': "city's rats for an update on the ongoing"}, {'start': '17.440', 'end': '22.080', 'text': 'war on rodents. Right here we have a rat'}, {'start': '20.000', 'end': '24.080', 'text': 'burrow. For the dozen or so folks on'}, {'start': '22.080', 'end': '26.240', 'text': 'what seemed like a historic tour today'}, {'start': '24.080', 'end': '28.000', 'text': 'through Columbus Park, they learned a'}, {'start': '26.240', 'end': '31.679', 'text': 'lot more than just the history of this'}, {'start': '28.000', 'end': '34.239', 'text': 'park. The Norway rat requires one ounce'}, {'start': '31.679', 'end': '36.000', 'text': 'of food a day to survive. Instead, this'}, {'start': '34.239', 'end': '39.399', 'text': "group joined what the mayor's appointed"}, {'start': '36.000', 'end': '41.840', 'text': 'ratar calls an elite squad of anti-rat'}, {'start': '39.399', 'end': '44.239', 'text': 'activists. These are the newest members'}, {'start': '41.840', 'end': '46.640', 'text': 'of the New York City Rat Pack. We want'}, {'start': '44.239', 'end': '48.239', 'text': 'New Yorkers. We need New Yorkers'}, {'start': '46.640', 'end': '50.160', 'text': 'thinking about this in a different way'}, {'start': '48.239', 'end': '51.680', 'text': 'and joining us in collective action.'}, {'start': '50.160', 'end': '53.280', 'text': 'Kathy Karate is leading this new'}, {'start': '51.680', 'end': '55.280', 'text': 'initiative across multiple rat'}, {'start': '53.280', 'end': '57.280', 'text': "mitigation zones in the city. They're"}, {'start': '55.280', 'end': '59.520', 'text': 'called rat walks, where city officials'}, {'start': '57.280', 'end': '61.280', 'text': 'educate the public about rats, their'}, {'start': '59.520', 'end': '62.960', 'text': 'behavior, and how human actions'}, {'start': '61.280', 'end': '66.960', 'text': 'contribute to their presence in the'}, {'start': '62.960', 'end': '70.080', 'text': 'city. A well-fed, stress-free rat is'}, {'start': '66.960', 'end': '73.040', 'text': 'doing its best breeding. Multiple'}, {'start': '70.080', 'end': '75.280', 'text': 'litters, healthy pups. One example, how'}, {'start': '73.040', 'end': '77.360', 'text': 'the oil from a discarded empty bag of'}, {'start': '75.280', 'end': '79.520', 'text': 'potato chips can allow a rat to thrive'}, {'start': '77.360', 'end': '81.600', 'text': 'for more than a week. Extermination, it'}, {'start': '79.520', 'end': '83.280', 'text': "turns out, doesn't work. So, it's public"}, {'start': '81.600', 'end': '85.119', 'text': 'habits that allow rats to keep'}, {'start': '83.280', 'end': '87.040', 'text': 'populating. Columbus Park in lower'}, {'start': '85.119', 'end': '89.360', 'text': 'Manhattan is filled with rat proof'}, {'start': '87.040', 'end': '91.280', 'text': 'garbage cans, which Karate says only'}, {'start': '89.360', 'end': '93.040', 'text': 'work if New Yorkers get with the'}, {'start': '91.280', 'end': '96.000', 'text': 'program. People would open it up, stick'}, {'start': '93.040', 'end': '98.079', 'text': 'a pizza box inside. No longer rat proof.'}, {'start': '96.000', 'end': '100.000', 'text': 'But still, Karate says the new hands-on'}, {'start': '98.079', 'end': '102.240', 'text': 'approach to rid the city of its rats is'}, {'start': '100.000', 'end': '104.640', 'text': 'working with rat sightings on the'}, {'start': '102.240', 'end': '106.240', 'text': "decline. We're seeing decreasing in rat"}, {'start': '104.640', 'end': '109.920', 'text': 'sighting complaints. And more'}, {'start': '106.240', 'end': '112.560', 'text': "importantly, we're seeing increases in"}, {'start': '109.920', 'end': '115.200', 'text': 'compliance. More properties are passing'}, {'start': '112.560', 'end': '117.360', 'text': 'health department inspections in 2025'}, {'start': '115.200', 'end': '119.280', 'text': 'than they were in 2023. So, if you want'}, {'start': '117.360', 'end': '121.360', 'text': 'to join the rat pack, the city has'}, {'start': '119.280', 'end': '122.479', 'text': 'scheduled a bunch of rat walks over the'}, {'start': '121.360', 'end': '125.520', 'text': 'next few weeks throughout the five'}, {'start': '122.479', 'end': '127.680', 'text': 'buraus in specific rat mitigation zones.'}, {'start': '125.520', 'end': '130.319', 'text': 'The goal is to take away the fascination'}, {'start': '127.680', 'end': '132.800', 'text': 'and sometimes fear over rats and educate'}, {'start': '130.319', 'end': '135.440', 'text': 'the public on how to deal with them'}, {'start': '132.800', 'end': '137.280', 'text': 'because they still are here to stay.'}, {'start': '135.440', 'end': '139.920', 'text': "We're in lower Manhattan. Gio Kovous,"}, {'start': '137.280', 'end': '139.920', 'text': 'Fox 5 News.'}]