Penajam Paser Utara. Nusantara, Indonesia's future capital, is grappling with a rat infestation, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of traps across the core government area to address the issue.

“We’re not standing idly by—we’ve already taken steps to anticipate the rat infestation,” said Thomas Umbu Pati Tena, a deputy at the Nusantara Authority (OIKN), on Sunday.

Visitors to Nusantara during the Eid holiday have complained about the presence of rats roaming the area. Thomas acknowledged the problem, stating that IKN was previously a forested, hilly area.

“This area used to be forestland, with many rat nests. We’ve already distributed poison and traps, and health teams will carry out further preventive measures,” he said.

Authorities also suspect that a lack of public awareness and improper waste disposal by visitors are contributing factors to the rat problem.

Tourists Via and Sarah said they were initially impressed by the striking architecture of Nusantara in the middle of the forest, but disappointed by the amount of trash—such as plastic bottles—littering the area.

“There are already signs showing where to throw trash, but people still ignore them. That’s our main complaint,” they said.

Visitor numbers surged during the 2025 Eid holiday, with people coming from across Indonesia and abroad. Nusantara saw a significant uptick during the Eid al-Fitr holiday season. Daily visitor numbers rose from around 8,000 on the first day of Eid (April 1) to over 14,100 by April 3. Amid the increasing visitors, sightings of rats and videos of the infestation quickly went viral on social media.

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