As Paris gears up to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, city authorities are taking significant measures to prevent the capital’s famous furry residents from making an unwelcome appearance at the world’s most anticipated sporting event.
Known for its abundance of rats, famously depicted in the animated film “Ratatouille,” Paris is determined to ensure that these critters don’t tarnish the city’s image during the global spectacle.
Deputy Mayor Anne-Claire Boux, responsible for public health, revealed in an interview with AFP that the city has implemented rigorous measures to address the rodent problem.
“We have meticulously analyzed all Olympic sites and celebration areas for any signs of rats before the Games,” Boux stated.
She emphasized that comprehensive cleaning operations were conducted to eliminate food residues that could attract rodents. Additionally, city officials have worked to seal exit points from sewers around the event locations.
In areas with significant rat populations, such as the park behind the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre gardens, which will host beach volleyball and the Olympic cauldron respectively, traps have been strategically placed. The city has employed both mechanical traps and chemical solutions to curb the rat numbers.
Despite these efforts, Boux made it clear that exterminating Paris’s rats is not the goal. “The aim is not to exterminate the rats but to manage their presence. They play a role in maintaining the sewers and should remain there,” she explained.
Paris’s rat problem has long been a topic of concern and debate. The rodents have featured in French literature from Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables” to Gaston Leroux’s “The Phantom of the Opera.”
More recently, the city has faced criticism over cleanliness issues, exacerbated by a garbage collectors’ strike last year. The strike resulted in heaps of garbage accumulating on the streets, creating a bonanza for the rodent population.
Current Mayor Anne Hidalgo, whose administration is under scrutiny from conservative critics, has faced ongoing criticism for failing to keep Paris free from rubbish, rodents, and other nuisances.
The situation prompted a viral social media campaign in 2021, known as #SaccageParis (#TrashedParis), where residents shared images of overflowing bins, neglected street furniture, and overgrown green spaces. In response, the city introduced a “manifesto for beauty” aimed at improving the capital’s image.
With the Olympics fast approaching, Paris has undergone a significant facelift. Boulevards and squares have been cleaned and many historic buildings have been restored to their former glory. New rat-proof waste bins have been introduced across the city to address the problem of overflowing garbage.
“The most critical factor is ensuring that waste bins are securely sealed and closed,” Boux highlighted. This measure aims to prevent food waste from attracting rodents and to maintain the city’s reputation for elegance and cleanliness during the high-profile event.
As the world’s attention turns to Paris for the Olympic Games, city officials are working diligently to ensure that the only notable inhabitants of the city’s streets are its visitors and not its furry, four-legged residents.
