They tried to stop New York City rats from having babies. They failed.
In its war on rats, New York City has tried poison, reducing the amount of time garbage bags sit on streets, and even bombed burrows with dry ice.
But when officials tried to prevent rats from having babies in Bryant Park, they apparently failed.
In April, the Bryant Park Corporation purchased two dozen “ContraPest” bait stations with a liquid contraceptive from Arizona-based SenesTech for about $3,000, said the company’s CEO Joel Fruendt.
Fruendt said his product has worked for clients like Santa Clara County in California, as well as the Miami and Los Angeles zoos.
But the operators of the Midtown green space said the contraceptives were no match for New York City’s rats.
“The pilot ran for about a month-and-a-half but was unsuccessful,” said Joe Carella, a spokesperson for the Bryant Park Corporation. “We are looking into other contraceptive products or forms of administering contraceptives and may do another trial in the future.”