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https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00176-z
A conservation group is using drones to eradicate invasive rats by dropping poison on two small islands in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago — the first time such an approach has been used on vertebrates in the wild. The operation, which began on 12 January on North Seymour island in the Galápagos National Park, aims to protect native animals and plants from the destructive rodents.
Rats and other non-native species have caused extensive damage to the Galápagos, whose unique flora and fauna evolved in isolation for millions of years. In the process, native species lost many defence mechanisms against predators. Rats, which reproduce quickly and eat a wide variety of plants and animals, have been a target of eradication campaigns across the Galápagos.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Saturday January 26 2019, @09:47PM (9 children)
How about a few hungry mountain lions?
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday January 26 2019, @10:12PM (7 children)
Oh Jesus H. fucking Christ. Gimme a tent, a .22, and some traps and I'll go waste those motherfuckers for you, for free.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by mr_bad_influence on Saturday January 26 2019, @10:19PM (6 children)
That is not without risk and can have it's own unintended consequences. Just ask Australia.
I also wonder if they will be able to eliminate the total population since it only takes 2 rats to start another. Probably with enough time and monitoring they could.
(Score: 3, Funny) by RandomFactor on Saturday January 26 2019, @10:40PM (1 child)
I can't imagine Mt. Lions being the right choice. They would eat all the other easier to catch and less feisty fauna first I would think.
EF + unlimited ammunition sounds good. I would throw in some night vision as well.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @08:35PM
Just pop them with an xray gun or microwaves, or use rodent specific bait with small amounts of short halflife radioisotopes.
If you can sterilize the population then once generation of pests is not a big deal to wipe them out once and for all.
Even if you get 2 fertile rats left, unless they mate with each other you don't have a rodent problem when they finally die of natural causes or cancer. Plus with hot isotopes the radiation danger to other fauna is minimized.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:06PM
Until the next pregnant female jumps off a cargo ship or plane... rinse, lather, repeat.
The predator approach is more or less doomed to failure at eradication, predators just keep a population in check. To truly tame the rat problem, something needs to compete for its resources - unfortunately, whatever can out-compete rats for rat resources is likely more of a problem than the rats...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:13PM (2 children)
Spay and neuter them first so they can't have children.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @05:10AM (1 child)
We're talking about rats, not muslims
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @12:36PM
Referring to the mountain lions. Spay and neuter them first.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @05:14AM
Why not drop a few cats in there? Isn't that the usual solution for this problem?
Or are we worried about the local birdlife to be too stupid to get out of the way?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @10:43PM
In your face nature, we will decide how you evolve.. or dont...
(Score: 4, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:04PM (6 children)
In order to eradicate a rat infestation, you have to kill ALL the rats. Even one pregnant female can repopulate an island scary fast. Islands may seem small, until you're trying to find every single rat on one.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2, Touché) by trappedwind on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:20PM
No! you just have to kill all the females!
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:21PM
Just like Muslims.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by hendrikboom on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:29PM (3 children)
They managed to eradicate wild goats, another invasive species. Of course, goats are easier to see than rats.
(Score: 3, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 27 2019, @01:09AM (2 children)
The island to goat size ratio is much smaller than the island to rat size ratio. Also, "surface roughness" tends to be sufficient to conceal rats, and insufficient to conceal goats.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @01:26AM (1 child)
Conversely, rats don't have to worry about being fucked by Muslims.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @05:12AM
Wrong.
With the invention of duct tape now even rats have fear of them.
It's not just goat for afters anymore!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 26 2019, @11:23PM (1 child)
Is this "conservation group" a front for U.S. military R&D? If so, which group is the actual target if the tests prove successful?
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @01:03AM
Hint: an invasive species that migrates to Mecca every year
(Score: 2) by Username on Sunday January 27 2019, @12:14AM (2 children)
Majority of all medical testing is done on rats, we should have plenty of harmful things to infect them with. Like a super deadly rat virus, or one to make the gene responsible for rats eating their young more expressive. I remember they even made a rat constantly in a state of fight or flight and it had a heart attack.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Sunday January 27 2019, @01:12AM
Just like rat-poison, humans (fellow mammals) need to be very careful since what works on a rat may very well work (or easily evolve to work) on humans, too.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Sunday January 27 2019, @03:31AM
Life ... finds a way -- to make some of the rats adapt to the virus and turn them giant and super-deadly instead. Then they came back to the US and, well, I'll let Hollywood take it from there [imdb.com].
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Sunday January 27 2019, @12:57AM
Identify the self serving asshole, then send something less that a hellfire at them. After all, we just want to remove the self serving asshole, not those fine upstanding citizens that enable them. Heaven forbid.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Sunday January 27 2019, @05:35AM (1 child)
Usually Warfarin is used; that same stuff is used in humans at much lower doses to inhibit blood clotting.
The higher doses are mixed into grain to kill rats by causing internal bleeding.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by sjames on Sunday January 27 2019, @06:54AM
Actually, they now use much more powerful analogs. Many rats have evolved to store massive amounts of vitamin K in their livers do they can survive Warfarin.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Sunday January 27 2019, @06:52AM
Next up, telemarketing call centers and Washington D.C. Same problem, same solution.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 27 2019, @03:25PM
Wherever rats turn up, they carry destruction to the land by destroying mankind's goods and nourishment and spreading diseases and plagues such as cholera, dysentery, leprosy, and typhoid fever.
They are cunning, cowardly, and cruel, and usually appear in massive hordes. They represent the elements of sneakiness and subterranean destruction among animals, just as the Jews do among mankind.