A rat was spotted inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site, Gina Scott via Facebook
A rat was spotted inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site, Gina Scott via Facebook

Rat Spotted in Sandbox at Upper East Side Park

An Upper East Side mother took to social media with a warning for other parents that quickly spread on social media — the sandbox in the playground at John Jay Park, located on East 77th Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive, was now home to a native New Yorker: a rat who apparently had taken up residence there.

No rats were seen inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on Tuesday morning | Upper East Site
No rats were seen inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on Tuesday morning | Upper East Site

“Word of Caution — There is a rat in the sand box [sic] at John Jay Park,” wrote Gina Scott in a post to the Facebook group Moms of the Upper East Side last Friday, April 14th, which included a photo of the rat, adding that “it looks like she made a burrow and is hanging out there.”

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“I reached out to 311 to report [the rat],” Scott added in replies to commenters that that she believed the rat “was stuck and ultimately needed a way to get out.”

Gina Scott spotted the rat inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Gina Scott via Facebook
Gina Scott spotted the rat inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Gina Scott via Facebook

“I tried my best to brainstorm some ideas to build a ramp on limited supplies, but she burrowed deeper into the sand,” Scott explained.

Upper East Site attempted to contact Gina Scott for this article, but our efforts were unsuccessful.

At John Jay Park on Tuesday morning, there was no sign of the rat in the sandbox, just a child playing inside. One park-goer immediately inquired whether we were looking for the rat — noting it had been circulating all over social media over the weekend.

No rats were seen inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on Tuesday morning | Upper East Site
No rats were seen inside the sandbox at John Jay Park on Tuesday morning | Upper East Site

“This is New York City, we got rats all over the place,” she said, explaining how she had seen 15 rats lingering together in the park after closing time last summer.

“Oh my god! I had to delete the video,” the woman said, “My skin just crawled.”

The rat was spotted in the sandbox at the playground in John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site
The rat was spotted in the sandbox at the playground in John Jay Park on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site

Upper East Site reviewed 311 records and found a single service request for a rodent sighting at John Jay Park just after 11:00 am from last Friday. Social media users also reached out to New York City Council Member Julie Menin, who represents that part of the Upper East Side.

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“My office was informed of an unsanitary condition in John Jay Park and immediately reached out to the Parks Department who addressed the condition and will be subsequently baiting the entire park,” said Council Member Menin in a statement to Upper East Site.

John Jay Park is located on East 77th Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive | Upper East Site
John Jay Park is located on East 77th Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive | Upper East Site

“Park space is vital in our dense neighborhood and must be clean, safe, and accessible for all New Yorkers,” Menin added.

Upper East Site reached out to NYC Parks for clarification on the efforts being taken, but did not immediately hear back. 

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