Ecuador drops poison on Galápagos Islands in attempt to eradicate rats [View all]

[Liberal_in_LA]

Ecuador drops poison on Galápagos Islands in attempt to eradicate rats

"The rats cause a great deal more damage than the poison," said Linda Cayot, science adviser for Galápagos Conservancy. "They have decimated 100% of tortoise hatchlings for the past 100 years."

In advance of this operation, she said, years of research has gone into lessen the impact on other species.

The rodenticide is in light blue cubes that attract rats but have been found to be of little interest to other species. Developed by Bell Laboratories in the United States, the 1cm cubes disintegrate within days. They also contain a strong anti-coagulant that accelerates the decomposition of rats that eat them.

Hawks that might eat the dead rats have been temporarily relocated from the island. Even though the risk to iguanas is thought small, they too have been moved ahead of the toxic drop, which will be done in a grid pattern and repeated in seven days.

"If we miss even one pregnant female, it won't succeed," said Cayot. Monitoring will take place throughout next year. If it is successful, the eradication campaign will move to the bigger Floreana island.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/15/ecuador-poison-galapagos-islands-rats?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487