Paris is getting ready for the Summer Olympics with extensive efforts to keep its rat population out of sight, ensuring visitors experience the city’s charm without encountering its infamous rodents. City officials have implemented rigorous measures to secure Olympic sites from the notorious vermin, including a deep clean to remove food residues and blocking exit points from the sewers.
“All of the Olympic sites and celebration areas were analysed (for rats) before the Games,” deputy mayor Anne-Claire Boux, who has responsibility for public health, told AFP in an interview.
“Where there were areas with lots of rats we put traps in place ahead of the games,” Boux continued, adding that both mechanical rat-traps and chemical solutions were used to reduce troublesome populations.
Paris Olympics starting date
The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics will take place in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11 this year. While the Olympics officially begin later, with the opening ceremony scheduled for June 26, football and rugby sevens will have matches starting on July 24, while the handball event begins on July 25.