Rats and Yellow Crazy Ants Eradicated on 6 Polynesian Islands–Now, Birds and Turtles are Flourishing

Rats and Yellow Crazy Ants Eradicated on 6 Polynesian Islands–Now, Birds and Turtles are Flourishing

Rats and Yellow Crazy Ants Eradicated on 6 Polynesian Islands–Now, Birds and Turtles are Flourishing The successful team on Nukufetau – credit Jesse Friedlander, via Island Conservation In the continuing conservation success story of eliminating invasive species on tropical islands, the nation of Tuvalu has completed the eradication of invasive rats from 6 of its 124 islands. Additionally, an overwhelming population of invasive mosquitoes and “yellow crazy ants” are both nearly eliminated. The project’s success was an example of the power that community-led conservation can have when properly backed by even the smallest governments, a statement from Island Conservation, a nonprofit that aided in the eradication, explained. “[T]he project has led to the successful eradication of invasive rats from six islets, which includes four in Nukufetau [Atoll] and two in in Funafuti [Atoll], which has significantly reduced the threat to native seabirds, coastal biodiversity, and island ecosystems,” sa…