Vienna to inspect park after rat sightings

Vienna will inspect Barbara-Prammer-Park after numerous rats were seen there, ORF Wien reports. The park is on Rechte Wienzeile, near Naschmarkt, a market, and close to Kettenbrückengasse underground station.

A recently recorded video shows rats in the park. The location is near food waste from the market and several construction sites. Pest controller Peter Fiedler of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce said rats are often seen in parks when people leave food scraps on the ground instead of putting them in bins.

The city department responsible for the park, MA 28, which handles road administration and construction, plans to assess the situation and set traps. Property owners are responsible for pest control on private land; different city departments manage different public spaces.

Vienna says it carries out year-round measures to control rat numbers. The city’s health department said reports and assessments do not indicate a citywide increase in the rat population. Rat sightings in public spaces can be reported through the Sag’s Wien app.