Karen Wickerson
Appearances
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
If you've lived in Alberta your whole life, you probably can't identify one when you see it. I can talk about the reports we receive of people misidentifying them as muskrats. They're a larger rodent, have a waddle, long tail. We receive a lot of reports of them where people think they are rats.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
Because of the damage they could cause, they declared them a pest. Being a pest, an agricultural pest in Alberta, means that every Albertan is required to control them.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
People are desperate and they want to know what our secret is. I always say like we're at such an advantage because the program started right when rats arrived to our boundary. We prevented them from spreading into the province and establishing. So for me to comment on populations now that do exist, you know, it's hard for me to really give advice.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
I would say that public education is always critical. It's challenging. I do really feel for people in other jurisdictions.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
I found it fascinating because I don't see rats on the street in Alberta. So my first night I was walking out for dinner and I have to say I was delighted when I saw a rat munching on a bag of garbage.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
Karen Wickerson. I'm the rat and pest specialist for the province of Alberta.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
So I'm in charge of overseeing the program, which is provincial-wide. I coordinate response to rat reports, rat infestations, if we have them. I work with people who are part of the rat patrol at the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. They check animals. along the border twice a year, and they report back to me if they do find rats at all.
Freakonomics Radio
623. Can New York City Win Its War on Rats?
Albertans are very proud. I've had people go to great lengths to figure out how to report a rat sighting and they get a hold of me and they say, oh, I know I'm supposed to report this. I want you to know I saw a rat at this location.