| Summary: | Infestations occur among select organisms when their living conditions are highly favourable. A species that is capable of quickly accommodating to a new environment, has a thriving reproductive output, has no significant predators and has access to resources will eventually flourish in population. In particular, the black rat (Rattus rattus) population has rapidly increased within British Columbia over the last four years. The increase is currently understudied and greater research is needed on their specific distribution and what is influencing their population outbreak. Obtaining more knowledge of this could be the first step in subsidizing their population. Using information collected from recent news articles, testimonials, and pest control companies, we have conducted a preliminary study on the black rat around Kamloops. This project highlights some known locations of the black rat while putting additional emphasis on their general lifestyle and characteristics. We also suggest multiple theories of the black rat's origin and how they arrived in Kamloops. With our information, hopefully another study will be conducted by future researchers and this project will provide an adequate starting point.
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