Last December, New York Mayor Eric Adams announced that he was in search of a "ruthless" rat hunter. Eight months later, the rat problem remains unresolved, and an unexpected industry has even emerged: "rat tourism."

 

Among the tours offered by guides in the city of New York, new stops at rat-infested sites have been added. Tourists stop to watch as these rodents scurry about.

 

TikToker Kennu Bollwerk, who became famous for posting videos of the "Big Apple," is now a rat guide. This is done through live streams where he recorded rats running outside a construction site, a broadcast that lasted over an hour, and people hope it will prompt authorities to do something about this issue. "People walk by, rats running at people's feet, piles of garbage on the sidewalk," he stated.

 

Through his TikTok content, he encourages citizens to complain to the 311 service, a designated number for reporting non-emergency situations.

 

"The fact that I'm raising awareness about a problem and helping people in their neighborhoods, I think that's why I keep going out and doing it. Through this, I'm meeting so many interesting people that I never would have met," he said.

 

In April, New York appointed Kathleen Corradi as the person in charge of controlling the "public enemy number one," in an effort by the city to shed its reputation as a rat's nest. By June, rat sightings had decreased by 15% compared to 2022.

 

Among the measures taken to combat the problem are "rat mitigation zones," where areas with a large number of rats are identified and treated with poison. Additionally, new rules have been introduced regarding garbage disposal, requiring restaurants to place garbage bags in containers instead of throwing them onto the streets.