According to Chronicles of Turkmenistan, sanitary workers were sent from Ashgabat to the presidential country residence on the night of June 15-16 after rats were found around the grounds.

The operation reportedly lasted several hours. Pest-control teams flooded burrows and underground tunnels with water, collected the dead rats, and then treated the area with chemicals.

Several carcasses were sent for laboratory testing at the Institute of Clinical Medicine and Epidemiology, housed in the former anti-plague station building. The tests reportedly found no dangerous infectious diseases.

The rodents were identified as brown rats, also known as Norway rats. The species is common in urban environments and can carry diseases including leptospirosis, salmonellosis, and murine typhus.

The apparent rise in rat numbers in Ashgabat and nearby areas has been linked to the regular killing of stray cats and dogs by city authorities. With fewer natural predators, they said, rats can spread more easily.

Animal round-ups are a recurring feature of official preparations in Turkmenistan. In May, Turkmen.News reported that stray cats and dogs were removed from the western port city of Turkmenbashi ahead of a visit by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. According to the outlet, this was not done subtly, with some animals “were bludgeoned to death with sticks and iron bars” in public view, including in front of children.

The reported infestation is awkward for a state that presents Ashgabat and its elite residences as models of cleanliness and order. Turkmenistan’s government has not commented publicly on the incident.