The ultimate woman for our time? Step forward, New York’s rat tsar | Emma Beddington

As a bleeding-heart animal lover, I don't want to see any creature harmed. But warring, resourceful rats clearly need to be tackled

I have a girl crush: Kathleen Corradi, NYC's newly-appointed rat tsar". The former elementary school teacher responded to the city's search for someone bloodthirsty" enough to tackle the city's all-time-high rodent population (primary school will do that to a person). At a press conference, Corradi, wearing shades and a black turtleneck, looked spectacularly badass as she declared, You'll be seeing a lot more of me - and a lot less rats ... There's a new sheriff in town." Swoon.

I'm conflicted, though. I quite like rats and admire their initiative and intelligence as only someone who hasn't had to share living space with them can. As a bleeding-heart animal lover, I sympathise with the Parisian animal rights group Zoopolis, which has campaigned to stop the massacre of municipal rats: surely there are more humane solutions, such as rat contraception. (Or, as one New Yorker cartoon suggested, teach the rats ethical non-monogamy until none of the rats wants to settle down and procreate".)