The rats in the ancient amphitheater Colosseum and its surroundings caused controversy in the images shared by tourists and Roman residents on the internet recently. The fact that one of the country’s most touristic spots came to the fore with such a problem, following the messages and news shared with headlines such as “Mouse SOS”, drew reactions from the opposition and groups such as hotel operators.
The Hoteliers Federation, Federalberghi, criticized the decision makers on the grounds that “the whole world is disgraced” with these images.
“TURNED INTO AN OUTDOOR WASTE AREA”
Senator Claudio Durigon, from the opposition League party under the administration of the Municipality of Rome, said: “Rome has turned into an open-air dumpster filled with all kinds of waste.”
Upon the reactions, the Municipality of Rome announced yesterday that an extraordinary cleaning work against rats is planned in the Colosseum and the surrounding areas of Oppio Hill and Domus Aurea.
It was stated that the Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano also had a meeting and decided to establish a technical committee on the mouse infestation.
“SITUATION IS FULLY UNDER CONTROL”
Sabrina Alfonsi, Municipal Councilor for Waste, announced that an “extraordinary intervention” was made for rodent control the previous night and yesterday morning after the shared images, and said, “The situation in the Colosseum is completely under control.”
Alfonsi said that this summer’s extreme heat and the garbage left by tourists are also effective in the mouse problem.
“There Are More Mice Than Romans”
As news of the rat infestation spread on social media to the national press, public broadcaster Rai wrote that “there are more rats than Romans” in the capital.
According to Rai’s report, the number of rats in Rome is estimated to exceed 7 million, which means 2.5 rats per city resident.
The nearly 2,000-year-old amphitheater, the Colosseum, attracted more than 7.5 million visitors a year before the pandemic.
It is stated that this year, the number of tourists in the country may have exceeded the pre-pandemic period.