Update: D.C. Rat Patrol Targets Dupont Circle Park

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (3)

IF THE RECENT COLD WEATHER hasn't been hostile enough to rats living in Dupont Circle's park, then recent visits by D.C.'s "Rat Patrol" might have been a more lethal threat.

An incident from earlier in the month involving a rat that jumped into a baby stroller highlighted a jurisdictional quandary at Dupont Circle. Although the District's Department of Health is currently engaged in a targeted rodent abatement program on certain blocks near the circle, the rotary park itself falls under the care of the National Park Service, which has contended that the rat problem is an issue facing the entire neighborhood and not just the park.

But now, "the jurisdictional issues are no longer issues," said D.C. Department of Health spokeswoman LaShon Seastrunk. "We've put forward a solid plan" in conjunction with the National Park Service. Rat burrows have been filled in and "we've cleaned out leaves and trash under bushes," Seastrunk said, to help eliminate rodent hiding spots. Additionally, the park is now baited twice a week.

Trash cans have been moved from the center of the park to its outer ring and those that had been damaged have been removed and replaced, Seastrunk said, who added that rubbish is removed daily from those receptacles.

Seastrunk stressed that keeping the city's rat population in check requires the help of the entire community and urged anyone who sees a rat in their neighborhood to call 311, where the report will be forwarded to the Rodent Control Division, which can help develop broader strategies with business owners and other neighborhood stakeholders to battle the rats. "It takes the community to do its part," she said.

Still, careless littering is a major symptom of the overall problem and is perhaps the toughest to conquer. "The human behavior behind the trash problem needs to be addressed," Seastrunk said.

» EARLIER: "Rat Jumps Into Baby Stroller in Dupont Circle" [Free Ride/Express]