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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: 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].