The city council immediately took measures to combat the rodents, according to a statement from the city on Saturday. This happened immediately after the first reports of rats came in.
The situation at the Colosseum is “completely under control,” reports Sabrina Alfonsi, a senior Rome environmental official. Over the past few days, the staff of the municipal waste collection service and the green area have taken the necessary measures. For example, traps were placed, burrows in public gardens were checked and litter in the vicinity of the amphitheater was cleaned up. Together with the administrators of the Colosseum, they now want to take further steps to exterminate the rats.
Rome has an estimated 7 million rats, according to the city council. According to Alfonsi, the area around the Colosseum and the nearby Colle Oppio Park are not normally a ‘hot spot’ for rats, but the heat of the past few days and the influx of tourists this summer have led to large amounts of leftover food and other rubbish in the area. abandoned.