FREDERICTON EMERGENCY SHELTER AND SOUP KITCHEN AREA ARE INVADED BY HUNDREDS OF RATS!!!!!

Charles 04_07_05 090, originally uploaded by Oldmaison.

Lately, I have been approached by many people on the streets about different issues and this was surely the case yesterday at the Fredericton Soup Kitchen.

I was told that in the evenings the Emergency Shelter and the Soup Kitchen are invaded by hundreds of rats.

I never make it a habit hanging around outside the kitchen because it’s a different level of life than mine.

It’s a atmosphere of drugs and alcohol. They hang around in the back and this is not a bad move because it keeps these poor souls in one area.

If they didn’t have a place to hang out? They would be all across the City. It’s their little area and no one bothers them.

Being Charles, I just had to investigate.

I asked a few people and I could tell by the looks on their face that the story about rats invaded the area is indeed true.





So? I decided that at Midnight last night, I would pay the area a visit.



I don’t feel safe in that area but I just had to see it with my own eyes.

It was almost a full moon and I had my camera right in front of me in my pouch.

You never know what could happen if these people knew that I had a camera with me?

They have their own little world and they don’t take kindly of strangers taking pictures of them.

Once there, I noticed 8 of them siting on the ground and they were very quiet.

I walked further and saw a couple.

I asked them - Where’s the rats???

In a matter of seconds, I saw a rat running across the yard.

Is it the garbage bin that's attracts them?



Minutes later, I saw a mother rat running with 2 baby rats following close by.

I stayed there for around 30 minutes and Rats I saw.

Not hundreds but a lot.

The couple was sitting down while I was in the middle of the yard waiting to take the perfect picture.

I was told that the rats were in a small amount tonight.

There were big rats all around and I had a milk cart in one hand while the other was holding my camera. I took this picture and you can clearly see two baby rats.









Just looking for the evidence. The perfect picture. Pretty bad when you wish to take a picture of a large rat for a blog?


I waited and waited but I did manage to get this shot.

The couple left to join the others near the river.

I was all alone while I could hear the many rats jumping behind the fence.








Call me a whimp but I saw or heard enough!!!

I was a little scare just being there alone with all the rats around.

I guess the people who lives in a tent told me that the rats were jumping all over the tents during the evenings.








Very scary stuff!!!!

I chatted with people who has been in the area for years and they told me that this year is the worst they even saw it.

So? Why is the rat population so large this year?

Why?

Is it safe for the people to walk around that area?

Should the Province or the City be concern over this issue?

Or it is ok because it’s only poor people involved?

Someone should investigate this issue.

I guess in the evenings it’s a carpet of rats running around in groups.

Stay tune!!!!