by Ava Y., 6th grader
Deep under the ground, I stood on the platform waiting for the “1” train. Rats are known for scurrying around the subway tracks, and on that particular spring day, I had my first rat sighting. I had always thought that rats were dangerous and to be avoided, but to my surprise, it was completely harmless and uninterested in me. People have many misconceptions about rats, but one simple encounter can really change your perspective.
People say they are disgusting, smelly, big, scary, ugly creatures. Rats get so little respect, and they have a bad reputation for being pests. They’re known for stealing shiny objects, eating through wires, and sometimes making unwelcome appearances in people’s homes, but my understanding is that they are not so bad. In fact, rats are pretty great; here are a few examples.
In times of war, rats were even better than dogs at detecting mines and bombs in the ground, consistently leading soldiers to safety. Scientists experiment on rats instead of real people! This is because scientists don’t want to put bad chemicals in a person, but since there are so many rats the scientists don’t mind using them instead. Rats have even been known to detect TB (known for Tuberculosis) by using their incredible sense of smell, saving many human lives.
What’s more, did you know that rats are rich in protein? They are a delicacy in many parts of the world, especially in China, France, and Africa. If you are not already convinced that rats are beneficial, you might like to know that they are considered a lucky animal in Asian folklore. As it turns out, that subway rat might have actually been my lucky omen!
Rats have very interesting ways to prove that they are there. They want to be in large and wide areas. Something like the subway station would do. A lot of rats hide on the tracks in the subway station. The worst place in the subway is the subway trash room. It is like the rat headquarters. The NYC Transit has had access to these trash rooms, and with the help of SenesTech, they could possibly get rid of the rats in the trash room and maybe the whole subway station.
Works Cited:
Oh, Rats! by Albert Marrin
“As Rats Persist, Transit Agencies Hope to Curb Their Births” (NY Times)
“Fact Sheet about Sterilizing Rats” (MTA)
