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Transcript/Script((TITLE: TV New York Rats - Vishneva
HEAD: New York Rodents Thrive in the time of COVID
TEASER:
PUBLISHED: 12/21/2021 7:31 am
BYLINE: Nina Vishneva
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: New York
VIDEOGRAPHER: Alexander Barash, Dmitrii Vershinin, Natalia Latukhina
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE, BR
PRODUCER:
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Reuters, see courtesies
PLATFORMS: TV only
TRT: 2:44
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO))
[[The COVID pandemic has had many unforeseen consequences. One of the most unforeseen was the explosion of the rat population in New York City. Nina Vishneva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.]]
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
They’re everywhere – on scaffolding, in garbage
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: New York City Daily + YouTube Logo))
bins, in the subway
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
and on the streets.
((End courtesy))
((NATS)) ((Carol Morrison, Activist)) ((C0841; 00:02-))
“One, two, three, four… Four rat burrows! There’s a fifth one there… If we were to really look in here, you would find even more of them!”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
Carol Morrison
((End courtesy))
has seen plenty of rats before on the
((Mandatory courtesy: New York City Daily + YouTube Logo))
street in Brooklyn where she lives. But now
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
it has turned into a
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: Inside Edition + YouTube Logo))
disaster, she says.
((End courtesy))
((NATS)) ((Carol Morrison, Activist)) ((C0877; 00:04-)) + ((C0783; 01:47-))
“The plastic bags are out on the street, because the plastic bags are just invitation! That’s a Smörgåsbord on the street!”
((NARRATION))
Morrison is a Brooklyn activist who fights against rats. This heap of papers contains the addresses of houses where sanitation norms are being ignored. Some houseowners have over 400 – sometimes even 500 – violations on their record.
((Carol Morrison, Activist)) ((C0839; 00:10-))
“There were 60 extermination visits by the Department of Health to this building alone. And there were 1200 dollars in violations that were issued.”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Jinais Ponnampadikkal Kader + YouTube logo))
It is often said New York City has five
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
times more rats living there than people. While no one knows for sure how many
((End courtesy))
rodents truly live in the
((Mandatory courtesy: Inside Edition + YouTube Logo))
Big Apple, it’s clear COVID has been good
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: LLN NYC + YouTube Logo))
to New York’s rats.
((End courtesy))
((Mandatory courtesy: Inside Edition + YouTube Logo))
[[Scene with car]]
An example:
((End courtesy))
those outdoor dining sheds. They’re empty now, except for the rats.
((NATS)) ((AFP)) ((Dogs attacking rats in the street))
((NARRATION))
These days, an evening stroll can often turn into an urban rat hunt using dogs.
((NATS)) ((02:15-))
“Well, not bad. We’ve had better nights; we usually get about 40 rats. Tonight, we got 26.”
((NARRATION))
Every year, New York City authorities invest millions of dollars into projects to deal with the rodent problem. One 32-million-dollar program was aimed at improving conditions of city buildings in a few areas,
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
including Brooklyn and parts of Manhattan.
((End courtesy))
It helped for a time – the rats disappeared, but then came back putting the future of the program at risk. Another initiative that cost the city authorities five million dollars introduced mint-scented trash bags.
((NATS)) ((С0789; 02:58-))
“The theory was that the rats would be repelled by the bags. Well, the rats were not repelled by the bags! And we wasted five million dollars!”
((NARRATION))
Incoming New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a history with rats. While he was the Brooklyn Borough President, Adams introduced “smart rat traps” into the area. It’s unclear whether he plans to do the same in other parts of the city in January when he takes
((Mandatory courtesy: Make A Change + YouTube Logo))
office. But for now – dogs
((End courtesy))
are on the job.
((Mandatory courtesy: Matt Little + YouTube Logo))
[[Scene with pizza]]
((NATS, Rats squeak, dog barks at it))
((For Nina Vishneva in new York, Anna Rice,
((End courtesy))
VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 22, 2021 15:29 EST
Brand / Language ServiceUS Agency for Global Media
