New York's rats have won the rat race: NYC czar leaves position

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NEW YORK - Rats!

New York City's rat czar has scuttled off the job two years after she was appointed to the role.

Public enemy number one: rats

What we know:

Kathleen Corradi, former Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation, was appointed to the position by New York City Mayor Eric Adams in April 2023.

Adams confirmed to FOX 5 NY that Corradi has left the position and "will be working to serve the city in a different capacity."

"When I appointed Kathy Corradi to this historic, unique job, I knew she’d have the drive and knowledge to send the rats packing from our city. It’s a daunting, complex task, but she’s handled it with confidence and creativity… This effort will continue at full steam, with our fantastic city agencies working to continue our ‘War on Rats’ with passion and vision."

The role was created to help coordinate the efforts of city government agencies, community organizations and the private sector to reduce the rat population in Manhattan.

"Kathy has the knowledge, drive, experience and energy to send rats packing and create a cleaner, more welcoming city for all New Yorkers," Adams said at the time.

Corradi's strategy to emerge victorious from the rat race included lacing rat bait around the city with contraceptives and launching rat mitigation teams to tackle the rodents in 600,000 of the city’s street tree beds.

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 4: A rat climbs into a box with food in it on the platform at the Herald Square subway station in New York City on July 4 2017. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

Before entering the rat race, Corradi worked as a sustainability manager for the city's Department of Education, where she led the agency's rodent reduction efforts.