22/03/2018
A remote and windswept
archipelago in New Zealand's Subantarctic islands has been formally declared
mouse free, following one of the most sophisticated pest-eradication projects
undertaken anywhere in the world.
The Antipodes Islands, which lie
about 760 km south-east of Bluff, on New Zealand's South Island, were once home
to around 200,000 mice that preyed on bird chicks and eggs, invertebrates, and
plants. The impact was enough to alter the biodiversity of the 2,100 ha island
group, recognised as a World Heritage site for its outstanding natural values.
Fears had grown after mice were
observed eating large seabird chicks alive in their nests on two south Atlantic
islands. It wasn't known whether that was happening on the Antipodes, but this
was a behavioural shift that was seen as a risk for all 25 of the bird species
breeding there.
However, as of 21 March, that
threat no longer exists – the islands have been formally declared mouse-free by
the Department of Conservation's Island Eradication Advisory Group.
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