Glasgow is battling a rat crisis, with a surge in attacks leading to hospitalizations. Locals are concerned about the growing rodent population.
Glasgow: The city is dealing with a serious rat problem. Recently, 100 people ended up in the hospital after being attacked by these pesky rodents.
Over the last five years, the number of rats has skyrocketed. Reports to local authorities have jumped by 45%. That’s a lot of rats running around!
Chris Mitchell, a union leader, thinks it’s time to declare an emergency. He believes the rat population is only getting bigger. He also pointed out that fewer bin collections might be making things worse.
“The rats are having one big massive party,” he said. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to deal with the mess. If this keeps up, the Commonwealth Games next summer could turn into a “rat race.”
Data shows that Glasgow’s rat population grew from 6,180 to nearly 9,000 in just four years. That’s a huge jump!
In the same time frame, the NHS treated 100 injuries related to rat attacks. That’s alarming for a city that’s supposed to be welcoming visitors.
Glasgow City Council has called these infestations an “unfortunate fact of life.” They believe the COVID lockdown changed rat behavior, pushing them into residential areas.
They also mentioned that milder winters and older buildings might help rats thrive. But many locals, like David Richardson, think the real issue is the reduced bin collections.
David hasn’t had his bin picked up since mid-December. He’s seen rats as long as a foot! He even had to rescue one that got stuck in his bin.
“That shouldn’t be my job,” he said. “It could be dangerous if it bites someone.”
The council blamed the Christmas holidays for the delays in waste collection. They’re trying to clear shared bins as quickly as possible to minimize the impact.
