22,000 Traps and 40 Tons of Poison Not Enough to Eradicate Rat Infestation in Lord Howe Islands

Since a $17 million eradication effort on the world heritage-listed island, only about 100 rats have been detected, but experts insist all is not lost.

Rats were alleged to have jumped ship and arrived on the island. Mice initially arrived on the island in 1850, followed by rats in 1918, who had escaped from a ship that had sunk off the shore.

Rodents posed a threat to endangered species like the flightless Lord Howe woodhen, and other species, including five land birds, 13 invertebrates, and two plant species, became extinct due to their invasion.

Woodhen populations have risen fast after returning to the island's environment, from 250 birds in February to over 600 in March.

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