In 2011, 75 tonnes of poisoned bait left just 60-80 rats alive; they rebounded
A 2011 conservation effort to eradicate invasive Pacific rats from Henderson Island using 75 tonnes of poisoned bait failed to achieve its goal. Despite a massive initial reduction in the rat population, the survivors rebounded quickly, demonstrating the resilience of invasive species in isolated ecosystems.
Why it matters
The failure of this large-scale eradication project provides critical lessons for conservationists regarding the difficulty of completely removing invasive predators from fragile island habitats.
In 2011, Henderson Island, a remote and uninhabited island in the South Pacific, became the site of one of the largest rodent-eradication attempts ever undertaken on an island of its size. Conservationists spread about 75 tonnes of poisoned bait across the island in an effort to eliminate invasive Pacific rats, which had been preying on native wildlife for generations. Yet the operation did not achieve its ultimate goal. According to research published in Bird Conservation International, a small number of rats survived the campaign, and their population recovered with remarkable speed. Within two years, rat numbers had recovered dramatically, highlighting how even a seemingly successful operation can unravel when a few animals remain behind.A remote island under pressureHenderson Island is a small, isolated coral island in the Pitcairn Islands group and is internationally important for its wildlife. Several land-bird species found there occur nowhere else in the world.
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