Alberta’s ‘rat patrol’ ramps up operations as vermin makes inroads in province

Alberta’s formidable geography has stymied the infiltration of the vermin into the province – until now./Getty Images Alberta’s formidable geography has stymied the infiltration of the vermin into the province – until now./Getty Images Canada Alberta’s ‘rat patrol’ ramps up operations as vermin makes inroads in province ‘Rat-free’ Canadian province recently took a verminous hit when a dead rodent turned up in town of Bowden

Prefer the Guardian on Google For more than seven decades, residents of Alberta have shared something in common with Antarctica and the high Arctic: all locations are officially free of rats.

But on Thursday the Canadian province’s reputation as a firewall against rodent infestation took a hit when the town of Bowden announced the discovery of a dead rat and called on the province’s “rat patrol” to investigate.