The Environmental Health Directorate is investigating reports of a rat infestation in Wied Blandun after several videos emerged on social media showing a horde of the pests. 

The videos shared in popular Facebook groups showed rats scampering around and under some benches in Wied Blandun, a popular spot bordering Fgura and Paola.

A wild rabbit and a bin overflowing with rubbish can be seen close to the rats in the videos, which by Monday afternoon had been shared and commented on hundreds of times.  

Responding to questions, a spokesperson for the Environmental Health Directorate – which is responsible for the control of rodents – said it was investigating the issue and would be sending officers on-site on Monday afternoon. 

But what is attracting the rats in such large numbers? 

Paola local council executive secretary Fabian Mizzi said the council had been informed the pests were being attracted to the area by someone feeding wild chickens and rabbits.  

However, he said that while the council had been informed the feeding was taking place in a part of the valley located in Paola, the area seen in the video was actually in Fgura.

Fgura mayor Pierre Dalli confirmed the area was in his locality, but stressed the local council “was never given the responsibility of its cleaning and maintenance” which he said fell under the government’s remit instead.  

“Furthermore, parts of the valley lie within private properties, and we don’t even have access to them... We are aware of the valley’s issues, and we have called on the authorities to take care of the problems in the area”, he said.

The attractions of an evening walk.

A spokesperson for the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Cleanliness confirmed it was aware of the situation and that the Cleansing and Maintenance Division (CMD) had cleaned the area after receiving reports of the rats a week earlier. 

But she said that while the CMD had cleaned the area, it was unable to remove any pests or live animals. Residents were complaining the rats kept returning in even greater numbers due to the feeding taking place in the area. 

Rats also hit the headlines in Malta in August, with pest control experts warning that the rodents had become more of a problem in tourist areas amid “problematic” garbage collection. 

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.