Marseille's approach to pest control reflects a growing trend towards humane and ecologically friendly methods in urban management.
The success of the ferret program could influence other cities facing similar rodent problems to consider alternative pest control strategies that do not rely on poisons or traps.
If the ferret initiative proves successful, it may lead to its adoption in other cities across France and beyond, promoting a shift towards more sustainable pest control solutions.
The ongoing rat population in urban areas may necessitate further innovative approaches to manage wildlife-human interactions effectively.
The city of Marseille has renewed its partnership with ferrets to combat the rat infestation in its parks, aiming to make this ecological method permanent by summer 2025. The initiative was announced on Tuesday, with ferrets Nuit and Mûre currently deployed in Paul Mélizan Square, a residential area in the south of the city. These ferrets act as natural predators, entering rat tunnels and driving the rodents into nets that have been set up around the area.
During a recent session, Alexandre Raynal, a ferret breeder and director of Raynal Environnement, successfully captured three rats within just 30 minutes using this method, referred to as 'ecological predation.' Once captured, the rats are euthanized humanely.
This is not the first time Marseille has employed ferrets for this purpose; a previous trial in 2022 successfully eliminated between 100 and 150 rats across four parks. Aïcha Guedjali, the municipal councilor responsible for pest control, noted that this method can eliminate at least 90% of the rat population in targeted areas, a technique that has historical roots dating back to the Middle Ages.
The city estimates that around 1.5 million rats inhabit Marseille, with female rats capable of producing up to 2,500 offspring in their lifetime. As part of the ongoing efforts, the ferrets will continue to work in both Mélizan Square and another park identified as needing urgent attention.
Local residents, such as 78-year-old Agnès Blangeard, have expressed support for the initiative, sharing their experiences of encountering rats in their daily lives. If the current trials yield positive results, the municipality plans to issue a call for tenders to sustain this project beyond 2025.
