Chiang Mai kills rats to prevent pneumonic plague

CHIANG MAI, 5 August 2009 (NNT) – The Chiang Mai Municipality buys rats from vendors in a bid to reduce risks of contracting pneumonic plague currently spreading in China.

Vendors at the Muang Mai fresh market in the northern province of Chiang Mai hunt rats at night and then sell them to the municipality at the price of 5 baht each.

The person who kills rats the most will get a reward of 1,000 baht with 500 baht for the first runner-up, according to the local media.

The rat hunt is part of the municipality’s campaign against rodent-borne diseases.

The municipality said it would expand the campaign to other fresh markets if it was successful.

-- NNT 2009-08-05

The rat hunt is part of the municipality’s campaign against rodent-borne diseases.

Yee Hah!!... a Rat Round-up... git yo' self a gun and join in...

What happens to the rats after they're sold to the municipality, I wonder?

Regards Bojo

What happens to the rats after they're sold to the municipality, I wonder?

Regards Bojo

want with chilli or plain?

want with chilli or plain?

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Donnyboy,

Great picture ! I'll have mine with nam phrik mangbong, thanks.

best, ~o:37;

What happens to the rats after they're sold to the municipality, I wonder?

Regards Bojo

want with chilli or plain?

they need to pay farangs to hunt these little guys down at their favorite restaurant kitchens when they go to dine.

What happens to the rats after they're sold to the municipality, I wonder?

Regards Bojo

want with chilli or plain?

they need to pay farangs to hunt these little guys down at their favorite restaurant kitchens when they go to dine.

fresh and free range!

When the street urchins hear of this this , the rat population thru out the city will come under attack. Just hope this is not another program where the rat catchers are screwed by middlemen, etc. Now that someone has started something that will help Chiang Mai's image, hope we can get them (who ever them are) to include soi dogs in the program, the city would become a much more hygienic place.

Crikey, always wondered what they put in those awful burgers at 7/11

That would explain what the guy was doing with the fishing line down through the sewer grate in the market this morning...

What happens to the rats after they're sold to the municipality, I wonder?

Regards Bojo

want with chilli or plain?

they need to pay farangs to hunt these little guys down at their favorite restaurant kitchens when they go to dine.

Do you mean the guy with the hat or those things he's holding?

Seems a shame to kill those cute fat rats that I used to see around the moat at night......absolutely the largest specimens I've ever seen in my life.....as big as a cat.

At ฿5 a rat, rat breeding could become a growth industry.

How about instead a little more emphasis on general hygiene, cleaning up markets and regular trash disposal?

Those poor little distant cousins of Mickey Mouse! So sad. Anyone share my feelings?

When the street urchins hear of this this , the rat population thru out the city will come under attack. Just hope this is not another program where the rat catchers are screwed by middlemen, etc. Now that someone has started something that will help Chiang Mai's image, hope we can get them (who ever them are) to include soi dogs in the program, the city would become a much more hygienic place.

Yes bit who are the police going to screw?

Those poor little distant cousins of Mickey Mouse! So sad. Anyone share my feelings?

nah, i dont give a rats a$$

One thing to be careful of is the enterprising guys who start using poison as I doubt they will care too much about who else might come into contact.

So if you have any pets or children make sure you keep your eyes open.

When the street urchins hear of this this , the rat population thru out the city will come under attack. Just hope this is not another program where the rat catchers are screwed by middlemen, etc. Now that someone has started something that will help Chiang Mai's image, hope we can get them (who ever them are) to include soi dogs in the program, the city would become a much more hygienic place.

slapout,

You should be ashamed of yourself,

you've gone and offended the dog rescue folks

http://www.carefordogs.org/civilisation-as-we-know-it/

I reckon if rats would hold still on a leash better,

there'd be reception at the rat rescue shelter

Let's try to get our ThaiVisa Animal Philosophy in synch here

Compassion should extend to ALL the hapless critters?

What's right is right?

Rats have rights just like dogs?

To say that soi dogs are equivalent to rats,

is just reverse wording of

rats are equivalent to soi dogs.

Equal = Equal

Do we need to specify "soi"?

Aren't all dogs equivalent to all rats?

Do we need to delimit size and species,

or should all rodent be equivalent to all canine?

Aren't the dog shelter folks exercising exclusive discrimination

against the less visible and fleet footed

perhaps the less socially desirable animals.

And for any others of you who are smirking,

wipe it off this moment!

This is way serious and slapout has himself in a world of trouble.

Most abandoned dogs and cats are on the streets because some less evolved human being put them there instead of taking care of them as one should do with any pet. Their numbers need to be controlled somehow, but, they also deserve compassion.

Rats are mostly disease spreading pests that are not helpful to human beings and are not in the same league.

I was told by several stallholders in the market that this initiative was only for one day. I haven't been to the Tesseban to check but they all seemed pretty sure about it.

I sure am happy to hear it was a one day holocaust as bubba wants out of his cage (protective custody). He can go out and torment the soi dogs this evening.

Would it not be possible, to move the offending rats sideways, into an inactive post ?

its the bug which infiltrates the rats fur, that carries the 'plague' not the rat, by killing the rats does the bug take flight or dies as well, or does it hop onto the next warm fury nest.....stop it, i know what your thinking.

Trying to get the mia to stop "feeding the ghost" ...o look deer, the ghost ate all his food. (and is getting fat)