If you are "somewhat bloodthirsty" and you really don't like vermin, then you might be the ideal person to become New York City's new rat killer.
City mayor Eric Adams posted a job advert for Director of Rodent Mitigation, a job that pays up to HK$1.3 million a year.
"Do you have what it takes to do the impossible?" asks the advert, which seeks someone with a hatred for vermin.
A university degree is a must, and so is experience in town planning. But above all, the successful candidate must have "the drive, determination and killer instinct needed to fight the real enemy: New York City's relentless rat population".
Rats are one of the worst parts of life in America's largest city. They are often seen running between railway tracks and sniffing around rubbish bags.
Legend says that there are as many rats in the city as humans – around 9 million.
The famous British writer Charles Dickens complained about the rodents when he visited New York in 1842. And a bold rat shot to stardom in 2015 when it was filmed walking down the stairs of a railway station with a slice of pizza in its mouth.
City officials have spent millions of dollars trying to reduce the rat population over the years, using everything from rodent birth control to vermin-proof rubbish bins.
In 2019, Mayor Adams unveiled a horrible machine that drowns the rats in a pool of liquid. The city also runs a "Rat Academy", where local residents can learn rodent prevention methods. But still, the rats continue to run wild.
Between January and September this year, more than 21,500 sightings were reported to the city's rat hotline. "There's NOTHING I hate more than rats," Mayor Adams says. He adds that, for someone, "your dream job awaits".
Five things to know about
1. Rats are members of the rodent family which also includes mice, hamsters, guinea pigs and beavers. Rats are clever and very agile.
2. Rats will eat almost anything. They like meat, grains, seeds, fruit and vegetables.
3. Rats have sharp teeth that are always growing. They must chew on things to keep their teeth short.
4. Rats have a good memory and sense of taste. They can remember the taste of rat poison, so they won't eat it twice. This means it can be hard to kill rats that are pests.
5. Some people like rats and keep them as pets. Pet rats are smart and sociable. They can learn tricks and will come when you call them. A pet rat will live for about three years.
