Alberta's image as world's only rat-free region shattered by discovery of rat

Alberta's decades-long status as the world's only rat-free region has been compromised by the discovery of a dead rat in the town of Bowden, prompting the province's "rat patrol" to investigate. Since 1950, Alberta has maintained its rat-free reputation through geographic isolation, a monitored control zone along the Saskatchewan border, and strict pest management policies. While global rat populations have surged dramatically in major cities worldwide due to climate change, officials acknowledge that Alberta's rat-free status means no established population exists, though individual rats may occasionally appear.