Authorities in Brussels are considering using ferrets to tackle the city's longstanding issue with rats.
The rodents have become a major problem in the Belgian capital, prompting the council to set up a rat task force.
Under the proposals, a professional rat catcher would use trained ferrets to hunt out the animals and chase them towards traps.
"Since the rat is a natural prey for the ferret, the ferret is able to drive the rats out of their hiding places and bring them closer to traps," a spokesperson for Anas Ben Adelmoumen, the councillor in charge of public cleanliness, said.
Ferrets have already been used in some instances in Brussels, the spokesperson said, and now the council is proposing extending the method across the city. A decision on their use is expected in the coming months.
