Rats! Eugene has a rodent problem

In an attempt to curb the recent rat population explosion in Eugene, the city proposes a public education campaign for its residents

By Darienne Stiyer March 15, 2018

Eugene is in need of its own Pied Piper. Or at least his magic pipe. Rats have invaded the city, and without a piper to lure them away with the tunes from his pennywhistle, the rats are running rampant in the streets, making Eugene their new playground.

Every morning when Kimberly Gladen, a downtown Eugene resident, walks the three blocks from her house to the EMX bus station near 10th Avenue and Willamette Street, she sees at least one rat scurrying around in the street or eating the left behind food.

“The only encouraging thing that I saw was one morning, while seeing a rat running down Olive St., I happened to also get to see an owl swoop out of the sky and nail that rat in the street,” Gladen said, addressing city council members at a public meeting in December. “I would like to see at least 100 more owls in the downtown to take care of the rat problem.”

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