Can humans and mice live together? Paris is trying to find out

Paris (CNN) – Can humans and mice live together? This is what the leaders of the city of Paris are trying to find out. The French capital, like many major cities, suffers from a notorious rodent problem.

The Paris mayor is setting up a commission to study “symbiosis” — and the extent to which coexistence between humans and rodents is possible, one of Paris’s deputies, Anne Hidalgo, said Thursday during a city council meeting.

Anne Sures, the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of public health, announced the move in response to questions from Geoffroy Polar, president of the 17th arrondissement of Paris and a member of the center-right Republican Party.

Polar asked the city government to outline a more ambitious plan against rat infestations in public places.

Hidalgo, a member of the centre-left Socialist party, has previously been criticized for not doing enough to rid Paris of rats, including during strikes earlier this year that saw rubbish piled up across the city.

“Having rats on the roof hurts Parisians’ quality of life,” said Boular.

Pollard said he questioned himself after coming across a study in progress, Armageddon project. The project’s mission is to help the city manage its rat population and one of its goals is to fight prejudice against rats in order to help Parisians live better with them.

The study is funded by the French government, although the city of Paris is a partner in the project.

Souris explained that what is being studied is the extent to which humans and mice can live together in a way that “is the most efficient and at the same time ensures that it is not unbearable for Parisians”.

While rats can spread disease, the deputy mayor said the rats in question are not the same black rats that can carry plague, but other types of rats that carry diseases such as leptospirosis, a bacterial disease. Souris also highlighted some of the city’s actions as part of its 2017 rat control plan, including investing in thousands of new trash cans to “bring the rats back underground.”

Souris he later said on Twitter The Paris rats do not pose a “major” risk to public health. He added that he had asked the French Supreme Council of Public Health to intervene in the discussion.

“We need scientific advice, not political press releases,” he said.

Animal rights group Paris Animaux Zopolis welcomed the city’s work.

“Rats exist in Paris, as in all major French cities, so the issue of coexistence necessarily arises,” a statement from the group said.

“At PAZ, when we talk about ‘peaceful coexistence’ with rats, we are not referring to living with them in our homes and apartments, but to making sure that these animals do not suffer and that they do not disturb us. Again, a very reasonable goal!”

CNN has asked the authorities in Paris for more details about the plans.