The group formed after a 2024 City Wildlife study found large numbers of D.C. Wildlife testing positive for rodenticides, many showing blood-clotting problems tied to the poison. Head Rat Rangers Holly Gerberich and Gerard Brown, both wearing matching rat-logo t-shirts, led two dozen residents down a dimly lit alley on a weeknight in late September. The group carried head lamps and closed-toe shoes, though not enough mosquito spray for the trek.
Gerberich, an anthrozoologist, walked the crowd through the health risks tied to D.C.'s rat population as they checked behind trash cans and peered into old takeout containers. The rangers focus on prevention methods that skip rodenticides entirely, pointing out things like exposed trash and food waste sitting out.
For D.C. Neighbors dealing with rats, the safaris offer a different playbook than traditional pest control. Poison kills rats, but it also poisons the hawks, owls and other wildlife that eat them, according to the study that pushed the Rangers into action. Rat-proofing alleys instead of setting traps could mean fewer dead birds and fewer rats.
That so many people showed up on a weeknight to walk through trash-filled alleys and learn about rats says something about how bad the problem has gotten.