Rat plague in favorites: City of Vienna remains powerless in the park!

Rat plague in favorites: City of Vienna remains powerless in the park!

In the Searchwirtpark in Vienna favorites, a real MICE problem has appeared! The reader Katarina discovered several rats there and sent a snapshot and a video to the editorial team of . However, the city of Vienna is powerless and reacted to the problem. The magistrate department 42 - Wiener city gardens explains that this green area is a protected area in which rat fighting is only possible to a limited extent.

Why is that? Well, near the park, a critical animal species lives, the field hamster (Cricetus Cricetus), which is considered the rarest Wildhamster type worldwide and was classified as critically at risk in 2020. As part of the Vienna Animal Welfare Act, it is forbidden to catch or disturb this class of animals. For the Viennese city gardens, which according to Tiereschutz Austria in exchange with the environmental protection department (MA 22), this means that you have to adapt your rat-bearing strategies to the rights of the camp keep.

regulations and challenges

The city has no easy task in front of it. Instead of simply using Rodenizide, as provided for in the rat regulation issued in 2005, attention must also be paid to the protection of the field hamsters. The use of poison boxes that have been an issue in Vienna in the past could be considered problematic. A ORF program from 2022 also reported this, in which the rat fighting in Vienna was critically examined.

A look at the legal framework shows that the Austrian administration must act not only according to the Animal Welfare Act, but also on the basis of European guidelines. A judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) from 2021 increases the protection of endangered species and stipulates that resting places that are no longer used are also protected. This also includes areas in which Feldhamster could potentially return, which further complicates the situation in Vienna.

situation in the Searchwirtpark

The Viennese city gardens confirmed that they will continue to observe the situation in the Searchwirtpark and, if necessary, take measures. But what can you do while the rat population is happily increasing? Here innovative approaches such as birth control that is tested in some cities in the United States could be a way to regulate the number of rats in the long term.

The rat plague in the Searchwirtpark is an example of how nature conservation and urban everyday life can often come into conflict. For residents and visitors, it is to be hoped that a solution will be found that brings both human needs and the protection of the field hamster. The responsibility now lies with the responsible city authorities who have to accept the challenge of finding an environmentally friendly solution that takes into account both sides.