Holidaymakers heading to the picturesque city of Malaga for sun, sea, and Spanish culture have been warned that residents are currently battling a nightmarish rodent invasion.
Locals have raised alarm over a surge in rat sightings across key areas of the city, leading to heightened concerns. The critters are brazenly scuttling around public spaces, even darting through groups of unsuspecting kids, causing distress amongst those who frequent the Churriana, Haza de Cuevas (Carranque), and Parque de Huelin districts.
In an alarming account conveyed by Maria del Carmen Aguilar to SUR, representing anxious mothers and grandmothers at Parque de Huelin, she recounted the chilling encounters: “We are afraid because the rats run between our feet, as happened last week to one of the children (in the Parque de Huelin).”
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Climate experts link the upswing in rodent populations directly to the dramatic rise in temperatures. With Europe in the clutches of severe heatwaves sending mercury levels soaring into the 40sC, concerns about public health impacts are intensifying, reports the Express.
Echoing these worries, Hector Tejero from the Spanish Health Ministry stressed the lethal consequences of this scorching weather, previously stating: “The heat is killing 3,000 people a year and it’s going to get worse. But while exposure to extreme heat is going to rise, we can also step up our adaptation to it.
“Although it’s hotter in Spain than it was 20 years ago, fewer people are dying because homes are better adapted, because we have air conditioning, and because people are getting into a culture of dealing with the heat.”
Malaga city councillor Penelope Gomez highlighted that rodents are a challenge across the continent. At a recent council meeting, Gomez announced that the environment department will be ramping up its efforts and budget to combat the critters, uplifting the rodent eradication fund from €142,000 euros to a hefty €400,000.
Local representative Francisco Giron has also flagged an uptick in cockroaches and aired worries around the mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus in Malaga, which have been linked to several fatalities in Andalusia. Councillor Begona Medina has expressed alarm over the rising number of rodents and insects, pressing Gomez for further details on the mosquito responsible for spreading the West Nile virus.
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