Antigua removed rats, goats; Redonda’s vegetation surged 2,000% by 2023

For years, Redonda resembled more a barren moonscape than a tropical Caribbean island. Its vegetation was destroyed, its native wildlife was wiped out, and the marine ecosystem around it was harmed by soil and rocks washing into the sea. Yet when conservationists removed invasive rats and feral goats, nature made an amazing comeback. According to a report by Fauna & Flora website, Redonda had become a thriving haven for wildlife within a few years, and now it has received a major new layer of protection.Redonda declared a protected areaAntigua and Barbuda has created the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve, safeguarding almost 30,000 hectares of land and sea. The reserve comprises the whole island, the surrounding seagrass meadows and an 18,000 hectare reef of coral. The little-explored area is said to host at least 30 globally threatened or near-threatened species and internationally important seabird colonies.