Alberta’s legendary rat-free status faces a potential breach after a possible rat sighting in the city’s Inglewood neighbourhood has provincial rat control officials scrambling.The province reviewed footage from southeast Calgary that appears to show a real rat — a rarity given that most reports turn out to be other rodents. “Unlike many other sightings where people mistake muskrats or squirrels for rats, this one looks like the real deal,” said Karen Wickerson, rat and pest specialist with the Government of Alberta, speaking to the CBC.In response, traps have been set and rat control officers are going door-to-door in Inglewood, canvassing homes to gather information and track down the animal. “We’ve placed bait stations with snap traps to try and catch it, to confirm whether it is or isn’t a roof rat,” Wickerson said..Alberta marks 75 years without rats, celebrates global rarity .Since the 1950s, Alberta has maintained one of the world’s most aggressive rat control programs. A 600-kilometre “rat control zone” along the province’s eastern border keeps Norway rats—common in Saskatchewan—out of Alberta. Any suspected breach is met with swift eradication efforts.Wickerson told CBC her team is “pretty confident” the animal in the footage is a roof rat, a species less common in Alberta but equally unwelcome. Roof rats, also known as ship rats, are climbers that nest in attics and trees, making them difficult to catch and a potential threat to homes and infrastructure.Alberta’s vigilance is rooted in the serious risks rats pose once they establish breeding populations: rapid spread, agricultural damage, public health threats, and property destruction.Norway rats, in particular, are known to carry disease, contaminate food, and damage wiring.Though most rat reports turn out to be false alarms—often native animals like muskrats or ground squirrels—the province doesn’t take chances. Of the 616 rat reports received so far in 2024, only 31 were confirmed as rats, with 163 others identified as muskrats..Alberta launches 'Rat on Rats!' campaign to preserve its rat-free status .Residents are urged to remain vigilant. Those who suspect a rat sighting are encouraged to report it immediately to the provincial pest control hotline and, if possible, safely provide photographic evidence. Public education and cooperation are crucial to catching invaders before they multiply.Wickerson emphasized, "Public education is a big part of the success of the program, so we encourage people to report a rat sighting to us if they think they see a rat."Roof rats often arrive from British Columbia, while Norway rats — the original concern when Alberta declared rats a pest in 1950 — are burrowers prevalent throughout the Prairies.
