In the largest rat-free jurisdiction in the world — it seems one rat slipped through the cracks.A rodent has been spotted in Bowden, where Alberta's rat patrol, led by the Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC), has been dispatched to investigate and dispose of the now-dead critter.The town has warned residents to stay alert for "rat droppings or any signs of rats."Alberta has been rat-free for over 70 years, after a successful Rat Control Program in the 1950s kept rate numbers abysmal in the province..Though some do seem to pop up every once in awhile, according to Washingtonian, in 2025 out of over 800 reported rat sightings, Alberta only had 47 confirmed cases of rats.Rats can carry over 35 disease that are transmmittable to humans — spread through multiple means: urine, feces, bites, fleas, ticks, or mites.These pests may also be responsible for a startling amount of house fires.According to 2012 statistics from Pest World, 20% to 25% of house fires are of unknown origin, potentially related to rats and other rodents chewing on critical infrastructure like gas lines and electrical wires.
