Back in August, I did not want to be near Quebedeaux Park when we found rats running free throughout the park, but it is a different story today.
It's what you expect to see on a sunny day in downtown, people enjoying a park. But this is no ordinary park.
Back in August we were the first to show you the infestation in the park. It was not uncommon then to see rats on the benches and brave enough to come with just a few feet of our cameras.
On Wednesday we found plenty of people hanging out in the park, but no rats. Megan Ultis has noticed the unwanted visitors are no longer around.
"It is a lot cleaner," she said. "There are no more rats, it is a lot better."
Ian Isadore felt so comfortable in Quebedeaux Park he did not give eating lunch in the park a second thought.
Perhaps no one is happier to see the rats gone than Chambers Washington. He runs park operations for Precinct 1 which oversees Quebedeaux Park.
He explained, "We did put down a little more bait, or rat poison."
The extermination efforts are easy to see. In nearly every corner of the park there are black rat bait boxes. But park managers say the big improvement is the end of the remodeling project.
Washington said, "The biggest thing that was done is that the construction is over. That was really what was moving the rats around and causing them to be more active."
No matter the reason, park guests like Monica Cruz are just happy the rodents are gone.
"I would bring my kids here to hang out and see the water," she said. "I like the water. I see a lot of people taking pictures."
Precinct 1 says the rat extermination effort will continue.
