Biologists Hope to Kill All of Rat Island’s Rats

Species have long migrated about the globe, settling into new territories, often with the help of humans. But humans label some species as “invasive” and “unwanted.” In Alaska, a crew of biologists has set out to destroy all Norway rats on Rat Island, because the rodents eat seabirds like puffins and auklets and their eggs. Biologists have successfully eliminated rats from about 300 islands around the globe, reports Mike Campbell for the Anchorage Daily News. The project requires a staff of 18, helicopters and loads of poison. He adds that worldwide rats cause up to 60 percent of seabird extinctions, and notes the risk of rat invasions is growing: “Thousands of ships – many with rats aboard – pass through the remote, stormy archipelago each year, transiting the Great Circle shipping route between Asian and US ports.” – YaleGlobal