Nature & Environment

Australian islands closed due to rat invasion

By T.K. Randall
May 28, 2018

Image: Brown Rat
Credit: Dunpharlain / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The invasive rodents, which made their way to the islands either by stowing away on boats or by 'rafting' over on logs, are thought to pose a significant danger to local nesting bird species.

To tackle the problem, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will be engaging in a three-week aerial baiting program targeting both the Frankland Islands and Northern Barnard Islands.

"They cause major extinctions and a decline in island biodiversity around the world, and we certainly know on our Australian islands they have a huge impact on nesting seabirds," said ranger Warrick Armstrong. "They are damaging seabird eggs, eating hatchlings.""We also have a lot of visitors to campgrounds, so there's a risk of disease."

The species of rat in question - Rattus rattus - originated in the Indian sub-continent before spreading across the entire globe and is now considered to be a major pest.

"They are noticeable," said Armstrong. "There are signs of them, scats and droppings and tracks along the high-tide mark where they are foraging."

"They are gnawing on the native cabbage to get moisture because some of these islands don't have their own water source."

Source: ABC.net.au

Tags: Australia, Rats