Alberta Is Actually The Only Rat-Free Province In Canada & Here's Why
You won't see another "pizza rat" in Calgary!
Calgary.
Rats and city life pretty much go hand-in-hand around the world but a map of rat populations around the world has gone viral for one spot with a suspicious lack of the pests.
The map, which was jokingly posted by the Twitter account @TerribleMaps, supposedly shows where in the world rats live. While there isn't much data to go off, the thing most people seemed to immediately notice is that one Canadian province was the only one to be free from rats and that's Alberta.
People had some pretty funny responses to Alberta's unlikely claim to fame.
Although some people had their doubts about Alberta's apparent rat-free status.
A recent study of Canada's "rattiest cities" found that there are a whole lot of rats all over the country and while Calgary and Edmonton made the list, it was noted that it was only for mice.
But there's actually a pretty good reason why the province is rat-free and it comes down to a lengthy history of rat control on Alberta's border with Saskatchewan.
According to the Alberta government, a 600-kilometre-long "Rat Control Zone" was set up along the border from Cold Lake to the Montana border, with municipalities responsible for controlling the spread of rats. Bait stations were set up to catch the critters, buildings were rat-proofed and any infestations found in Alberta were destroyed.
Around the time, there was also a public information campaign to help residents along the eastern border know what to do when they see signs of rats. Any property owners that ignored rules on rat control could get official warnings or even end up in court.
Since then, measures have stuck in place along the border with pest control inspectors still hired to manage rats across the border.
It's also illegal to have a pet rat in Alberta. White rats are allowed to be kept by zoos, universities, colleges and some research facilities but that's it.
Unlike Vancouver or Toronto, you're not likely to see scenes in Calgary or Edmonton of hoards of rats roaming through the city so if you have a rat phobia, Alberta might just be the best spot for you.