Rat Island, part of the Aleutians in Alaska, had been infested with rats since a Japanese ship wrecked there in the 1700s. It is now rat free after a mass poisoning campaign proved successful. The project did have a few glitches, however, including the death of 43 Bald Eagles. The sacrifice seems well worth it if seabirds start breeding on the island in numbers like they do on other, nearby, rat-free islands.
Recent Posts
India’s Raptor Rescuers
By SuzieBirding Etosha National Park, Namibia
By LucaA surprise at Wimbledon
By David TSpecies Spotlight: Amur Falcon
By Kai PflugFinding the Chinese Grassbird in Hong Kong
By a Guest9 Ways to Support 10,000 Birds
By Kai PflugBathing Beauties
By Leslie Kinrys
Welcome to 10,000 Birds!
Learn about our site and writers, advertise, subscribe, or contact us. New writers welcome – details here!
Posting Calendar
DAY | WRITER(S) | SERIES |
---|---|---|
MON | Kai (w) | Birding Lodges (w) |
TUE | Donna (m) Susan (m) Hannah (m) Fitzroy (m) | Bird Guides (w) |
WED | Leslie (bw) Faraaz (bw) | Ask a Birder (w) |
THU | Paul (w) | Birder’s Lists (w) |
FRI | David (w) | Species Spotlight (w) |
SAT | Peter (bw) Luca (bw) | From the Archives (w) |
SUN | Clive (w) | Three Photos (w) |
w weekly, bw biweekly, m monthly | ||
Any time: Jason, Mark, John, Sara, Rolf, Dragan |
See here for info on the writers.
Newsletter
Signup and receive notice of new posts!
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.
In a related story…
While environmentalists worldwide view the riddance of rats from the Aleutians as an enormous success, members of AREA (American Rat Enthusiast Association) are devasted.
Wondering how long the poison maintains potency (even after being ingested by the rats), or what was left laying around.
Wes, if the poison used is 1080 or something comparable, it will dissolve rather quickly both within the rat remains and if it is laying around outside.