Residents asked to be on the lookout for rats
Kevin Laliberte
for Smoky River Express
Residents in the Smoky River region are being asked to be vigilant about the possible emergence of rats following the recent outbreak in southern Alberta.
That's the message from Normand Boulet, CCA, agricultural fieldman for the Municipal District of Smoky River No. 130, in response to a rare rat infestation in Medicine Hat which has resulted in a body count of 142 to date.
"We all need to be on the lookout. Equipment and supplies are very mobile, meaning rats could easily come into the province from B.C. or Saskatchewan at any time," Boulet explains.
"Most calls we get end up being juvenile muskrats," he says, adding that in one instance a dead black rat "had come in on a rail car and was brought by yard cat to its owners."
The recent outbreak in Medicine Hat has put an end to the province's 'rat-free' status, which dates back to the 1950s. The province is working closely with local crews in the southern community to exterminate the rats.
Watch next week's Express for additional coverage on the topic.
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