Stephen Dubner

After nine months on the outside, Flacco was killed when he flew into a building on the Upper West Side. A postmortem showed that he had debilitating levels of rat poison in his system. But it's not just escaped zoo animals who are endangered by rat poison. Dogs are. Children are. Like Bobby Corrigan said, poison should probably be a last resort, not a first.

After nine months on the outside, Flacco was killed when he flew into a building on the Upper West Side. A postmortem showed that he had debilitating levels of rat poison in his system. But it's not just escaped zoo animals who are endangered by rat poison. Dogs are. Children are. Like Bobby Corrigan said, poison should probably be a last resort, not a first.

And how does Corrigan feel about rat traps?

And how does Corrigan feel about rat traps?

And how does Corrigan feel about rat traps?

We talked in part one of this series about the thin line between animals we love and treat kindly. and the animals we consider pests and treat violently. It is true that some people do keep rats as pets, and of course we've used them for years as research subjects in medicine, psychology, even space travel, but we mostly think of them as a thing to be eliminated.

We talked in part one of this series about the thin line between animals we love and treat kindly. and the animals we consider pests and treat violently. It is true that some people do keep rats as pets, and of course we've used them for years as research subjects in medicine, psychology, even space travel, but we mostly think of them as a thing to be eliminated.

We talked in part one of this series about the thin line between animals we love and treat kindly. and the animals we consider pests and treat violently. It is true that some people do keep rats as pets, and of course we've used them for years as research subjects in medicine, psychology, even space travel, but we mostly think of them as a thing to be eliminated.

Even though they are, like us, mammals, and not so different from the mammals we celebrate and love, so does it make sense to torture a rat when you wouldn't torture a cat or a dog? Another rat mitigation solution that's been gaining traction is birth control.

Even though they are, like us, mammals, and not so different from the mammals we celebrate and love, so does it make sense to torture a rat when you wouldn't torture a cat or a dog? Another rat mitigation solution that's been gaining traction is birth control.

Even though they are, like us, mammals, and not so different from the mammals we celebrate and love, so does it make sense to torture a rat when you wouldn't torture a cat or a dog? Another rat mitigation solution that's been gaining traction is birth control.

So how do you keep down the rat population in a place like New York? The unfortunate answer seems to be that there is no one clear solution. Part of the problem is that rat data is usually unreliable. This is frustrating for someone like Bobby Corrigan.

So how do you keep down the rat population in a place like New York? The unfortunate answer seems to be that there is no one clear solution. Part of the problem is that rat data is usually unreliable. This is frustrating for someone like Bobby Corrigan.

So how do you keep down the rat population in a place like New York? The unfortunate answer seems to be that there is no one clear solution. Part of the problem is that rat data is usually unreliable. This is frustrating for someone like Bobby Corrigan.

And what makes Corrigan say this, that the compass is pointing in the right direction? Well, last fall, New York City hosted the first ever National Urban Rat Summit. You know, the credit here goes to Kathy Karate. Karate is the new citywide director of rodent mitigation, also known as the Rat Czar.

And what makes Corrigan say this, that the compass is pointing in the right direction? Well, last fall, New York City hosted the first ever National Urban Rat Summit. You know, the credit here goes to Kathy Karate. Karate is the new citywide director of rodent mitigation, also known as the Rat Czar.

And what makes Corrigan say this, that the compass is pointing in the right direction? Well, last fall, New York City hosted the first ever National Urban Rat Summit. You know, the credit here goes to Kathy Karate. Karate is the new citywide director of rodent mitigation, also known as the Rat Czar.

Like Bobby Corgan, Kathy Karate is both exterminator and appreciator. She knows the animal well. I asked her if she could explain the secret of the rat's success in New York.

Like Bobby Corgan, Kathy Karate is both exterminator and appreciator. She knows the animal well. I asked her if she could explain the secret of the rat's success in New York.

Like Bobby Corgan, Kathy Karate is both exterminator and appreciator. She knows the animal well. I asked her if she could explain the secret of the rat's success in New York.