Alberta rat control investigating possible rodent sighting in Calgary
The province says it's reviewed footage of what is potentially a rat in the southeast Calgary community of Inglewood — and unlike many other reports in which people mistake other rodents for rats, this one looks like the real deal.
Karen Wickerson, rat and pest specialist with the Government of Alberta, said her team is "pretty confident" the animal seen in the footage, which was not shared with CBC News, is a roof rat.
"We define ourselves as rat-free, and what that means is we do not allow rats to permanently establish in the province," she said. "If they do make their way into the province, we have a program to control them."
WATCH | Inglewood investigation continues after possible rat sighting:
Alberta's rat control program, which marked its 75th anniversary this year, investigates all reported rat sightings.
The province's investigation into the Inglewood rat sighting includes laying out traps to capture the rodent and going door-to-door to speak with residents.
"We've placed bait stations that just have snap traps in them to try and catch it, to confirm whether it is or isn't a roof rat," said Wickerson.
Roof rats and Norway rats
Roof rats are one of two rats considered pests in Alberta alongside Norway rats, which are considered the most common rats in the Prairies.
"A Norway rat is a burrowing rat, and initially that was the rat that the province was most concerned about when they declared them a pest in 1950," said Wickerson.
Roof rats — also known as ship rats — are slightly smaller and tend to arrive from British Columbia, according to the province.
The presence of either Norway or roof rats in Alberta is not tolerated. A 600-kilometre rat control zone has been in place along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border since the 1950s to keep the pests from entering Canada's only rat-free province.
"We do not have established populations of them in the province," said Wickerson.
The rodents often hitch rides on vehicles coming in from other provinces, said Wickerson, with most that end up in Alberta arriving dead or dying.
"It wouldn't be a pleasant drive in the engine interior area of a vehicle for eight hours," she said.
Part of the Inglewood investigation involves speaking with residents to find out if they've seen the rat or any related evidence, and to ask them to report any relevant information to the province.
"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," said Wickerson.
Inglewood resident Jerome Woo said he hadn't been aware of the rodent sighting, and that while he's seen other rodents like mice in Calgary, he's never seen a rat in the city.
"It would be nice to keep that little benefit going," said Woo.
31 rats confirmed in Alberta last year
Provincial data shows that of 616 rat reports received in 2024, only 31 turned out to be rats.
Among the remaining 585 reports, 163 sightings were identified as muskrats.
Muskrats are among multiple rodent species that can be misidentified as Norway and roof rats, along with native wildlife like voles, pocket gophers, kangaroo rats and bushy-tailed wood rats.
Wickerson said the size, appearance and movement of the animal in the footage she's reviewed in Inglewood matches a roof rat.
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