The following is news reported by CNN.
There are cities experiencing serious rat problems, and there is an article titled “One Thing That Could Be the Cause.” Jonathan Richardson, a biology professor at the University of Richmond, studied the rat population increase trends in 16 cities, including 13 major cities in the United States, Toronto in Canada, Tokyo in Japan, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
As a result, significant increasing trends were observed in 11 cities. Particularly, Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, New York, and Amsterdam saw a large increase in rat populations.
Only New Orleans, Louisville, and Tokyo showed a decline.
The researchers identified several factors for the increase, such as high population density, but the main cause was pointed out as ‘warming.’
Specifically, as winter temperatures have become warmer, rats have a longer time to find food and an extended breeding period.
CNN pointed out that the increase in rat populations has become a major issue for cities, as rats damage city infrastructure and gnaw on wires, causing fires.
Annual damages caused by rats in the U.S. amount to approximately $27 billion, or about 39.6 trillion Korean Won.
The researchers advised that measures such as public education to prevent further rapid increases in rat populations are necessary.
That was the second page of the news.
Graphics: Kang Min-soo / Video editing: Lee Eun-bin / Data research: Lee Jang-mi