Rats a gnawing problem
The Asahi Shimbun
The droppings tell the tale: Rats are breeding big trouble in the big city, spreading disease and causing conflagrations.
The Tokyo Fire Department reports that rats were behind 115 fires from 1995 to this June in Tokyo, causing 22 injuries and 350 million yen in damage.
Most were triggered by electrical mishaps when rats chewed through wiring. In some cases, rats had gnawed through gas hoses.
``We only count cases where we find obvious traces of rats, such as droppings. I am sure the actual number is higher,'' said Yukio Kubota of the Tokyo Fire Department.
The common roof rat (Rattus Rattus) is to blame, officials say, for the fires and rising complaints about bites and infestations.
