In the world鈥檚 biggest cities, when rats or snakes begin appearing on the roads, people don鈥檛 see it as a harmless coincidence. It鈥檚 a red flag鈥攁 symptom of imbalance, neglect, and decay.
When wild animals emerge from their hideouts or nesting locations and begin roaming the streets along with humans, public health concerns are not far behind. That nightmare is now a disturbing reality in the Spanish coastal town of Lloret de Mar, in Girona province, within the Catalan community, as reported by The Huffington Post.
What started as the odd rat and snake sighting has turned into something more annoying and, for those repulsed by these creatures, frightening for locals in neighbourhoods like Rieral and El Mol铆. There, residents say they鈥檝e watched their once-quiet streets become overrun with rodents and even snakes slithering up from the local stream.
Out in broad daylight
What鈥檚 even more alarming is that this infestation is no longer shy. The animals no longer wait for nightfall. Rats dart through alleyways at midday. Snakes emerge from the underbrush just metres from people鈥檚 homes. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never seen so many,鈥 the Huffington Post quoted a neighbour as saying, adding it鈥檚 seen as a danger for children as they are seen 鈥渃rossing the streets at all hours of the day鈥.
鈥淭his has never happened like this before,鈥 a local woman told Lloret Gaceta. 鈥淲e used to take out the rubbish without a second thought. Now I鈥檓 afraid every time I lift the lid of the bin.鈥
She says rats are visible at all hours of the day, darting between bags of rubbish or scavenging openly in the streets 鈥 a new, disturbing normal.
But it鈥檚 not just rats. The problem has scaled.
Yes, snakes, too, are zigzagging
Snakes 鈥 yes, actual snakes 鈥 are now being spotted regularly in Rieral and El Mol铆, and many residents believe they know where they鈥檙e coming from. The Riera, the stream that snakes through these neighbourhoods, has become overgrown, stagnant and neglected. It鈥檚 teeming with vegetation, covered in standing water, and cloaked in an environment that invites exactly this kind of infestation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the riera,鈥 say many locals. 鈥淭he weeds, the still water, the muck 鈥 it鈥檚 perfect for them.鈥 What used to be a scenic stream has turned into a breeding ground for pests and reptiles. The snakes, once rarely seen, now slither close to houses and shops. And despite calls for help, there鈥檚 little visible intervention from the authorities.
What frustrates residents most is the sense of abandonment. Complaints are growing, photos are circulating, and the problem is worsening, not improving. It鈥檚 no longer a minor nuisance.
It鈥檚 a public health concern.
Lloret de Mar is a tourist magnet 鈥 one of the crown jewels of Costa Brava. But behind the postcards, a growing number of its residents feel like they鈥檙e being left to deal with something they never signed up for: sharing their homes with vermin and reptiles.
And unless the town takes action, they fear it will only get worse.