Rat ambassadors try to counter bad press amid NYC’s rat war

By JULIE WATSON
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — As an ambassador for rats, it’s never easy to win over the public. But Runa at the San Diego Zoo has been charged with teaching people the virtues of rats. The African giant pouched rat appears weekly in demonstrations at the zoo to show how her keen sense of smell can be used to find everything from illegal shipments of wildlife to landmines. The organization that trained Runa has started providing the rats to U.S. zoos with the hope of changing the public’s perception of the animals. Their jobs are not easy given the disdain many hold for rats, including New York City’s mayor and his newly appointed rat czar, who has been charged with eliminating the city’s rat problem.