People feeding birds behind rat infestation
A RIVERSIDE location near Cardiff city centre has become infested with rats.
The problem on the Taff Mead Embankment is being blamed on a combination of high river levels and and an abundance of food left for birds.
The riverbank, a stone’s throw from the Principality Stadium, has seen a growth in the population of swans, geese, seagulls and pigeons in recent months, which is being blamed on people leaving out bread and other food which is also attracting rodents.
However, after Storm Callum, the rising water levels of the River Taff have also drawn the rat population further up the bank, causing the area to become overrun.
After calls from concerned residents, local councillors in conjunction with the council have started to put in place measures to tackle the problem – with the message being “do not feed the birds”.
Grangetown councillor Ashley Lister said: “The issue we’ve got on Taff Mead Embankment is a number of people are feeding the birds – and it’s not just a case of they’re leaving out bread, it’s massive amounts at times.
“People don’t seem to recognise that rats will eat bread too, rats will eat anything that they can.
“The combination of the water levels rising and the amount of food being left out is causing these problems.”
To tackle the rat infestation all sewers and open cavities around Taff Mead Embankment have now been baited and signs could be put up asking people not to feed the birds.
Cllr Lister said the growing swan population is also of concern.
“The other day I got sent a video of about 20-30 swans crossing the road because somebody had left food over there,” he said. “It completely stopped the traffic. So it’s now becoming something of an issue.”
The councillor added that previously the wild swan colony was living around Channel View Leisure Centre, but has moved upstream in search of food, causing numbers to swell at Taff Mead Embankment.
“I haven’t had a conversation with council officers about the birds as of yet, as our primary focus is reducing the rat population there,” said Cllr
Lister.
“That’s the focus of the officers, but going forward we’ll be having a conversation about whether these birds are in the correct place.
“We’ll question ask the ‘is there a place we can safely move them to’?”
One Grangetown resident who didn’t want to be named but who filmed rats scurrying around on the embankment said: “I saw at least 10 when I was there and have seen lots more on other occasions. They seem to have no fear of people. They’re particularly attracted by the bread people are leaving.”
A spokesman for Cardiff council said: “The council is aware of rodent activity at Taff Mead Embankment and several visits have been made to the area this week to treat the issue.
“The infestation however, is being exacerbated by the large amount of food that is being left for the birds, which then attracts rats. Measures taken by our pest control teams will not be effective if there continues to be plentiful food for rats to eat. We therefore ask members of the public to stop feeding
the birds.” For more information go to weather.co.uk