Alberta celebrates 75 years of being rat free

Alberta is celebrating 75 years of being rat free. CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti has more on the program and how it came to be.

Alberta is known for many things – oil, beef and rats. Or rather, lack thereof.

Officials have been diligent for the last 75 years, keeping wild rose country free of rats.

“Rats are a worldwide menace that destroy property and spread disease,” said RJ Sigurdson, minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, in a statement Wednesday. “For three quarters of a century, Alberta has proudly been one of the few jurisdictions on Earth to live without the pest.”

Karen Wickerson, the province’s rat and pest specialist, said the program essentially runs the same way it did when it started in 1950.

“When the program started, rats were declared an agricultural pest in Alberta,” said Wickerson. “That means every Albertan is required to control them if they have them on their property.

Under the Agricultural Pest Act, municipalities are also required to ensure rats are controlled and eradicated.

It is also illegal to own a pet rat under the act.

When Wickerson gets a report of a rat, she will contact the local municipality which has a designated pest control officer. The officer will investigate further, setting up trail cameras.

“As far as technology, there have been great strides in monitoring rats,” said Wickerson.

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Historically, the province has been mainly concerned with rats at the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, but these days, there has been an increase of rats hitching rides on vehicles from our neighbours to the east as well as in southern B.C.

Last year, Wickerson and her assistant saw 600 rat reports, of which only five per cent were confirmed.

“Muskrats and mice are kind of tied for number one misidentified critter in Alberta for a rat,” said Wickerson, adding there are a few other species that are also mistaken for rats.

Wickerson said she has talked to people from around the world who are fascinated with the province’s rat control program.

“It’s great to be part of a program that people are so proud of.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Mariam Valdes-Carletti.