Rat City « SJ Echo

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Rat City

Subang Jaya swarmed by rodents everywhere

RATS have taken to the streets in Subang Jaya scampering around in dirty eateries, drains and even on roads! And there appears to be no solution to this.
While it is believed that rats are nocturnal animals, many of these plump looking rodents have been spotted bolting in and out of drains to grab food discards from stalls even during broad daylight.
In what appears to be a boom in the population of rats especially near eateries in SS15 and SS14, these furry looking creatures (which are far from cute) have been spotted in dark areas during the night “partying” in packs of 10 to 15.
Normally, improperly discarded food packs lie nearby and the rats find cover underneath cars which are parked in the area.
“We can see the rats going into the under carriage of the car and scampering around in the drains. They are huge and very daring.”
“The rats are so huge, even the cats around the area do not even dare to go near,” a resident who declined to be named lamented.
What’s the common cause of this rodent manifestation? Improper disposal of food waste, dirty eateries and the lackadaisical attitude of shop owners top the list!
The Subang Jaya Municipal Council has tried many ways to stamp out this problem but to no avail.
MPSJ has offered the carrot to shop owners and residents– for every rat they catch, 50 sen would be paid out by the council. Lukewarm response from shop owners was what came next with many giving excuses that putting rat cages in front and in their shops would drive away customers.
The council has even gone down on the ground to issue compounds to shop owners who run dirty eateries and shops but this appears to yield no results.
With the council having insufficient budget to bait the rats with poison, residents can look forward to seeing more rat play on streets and in eateries.
It is truly ironic. Subang Jaya rats seem to play even when the cat’s not away!
Have you got something to share about what goes on in your neighborhood that needs fixing? Drop us a line at editor@sjecho.com.my.