Posted on 08/24/2009 7:22:08 AM PDT by wbill
WASHINGTON — After two centuries of an epic infestation, Alaska's Rat Island finally may merit a name change. The island, part of a national wildlife refuge in the sprawling Aleutian chain, appears to be pest-free for the first time since rats overran it after a Japanese sailing ship wrecked there in the late 1700s.
Scientists stopped by in early August to check on the progress of the $3 million eradication. So far, "no sign of rats whatsoever," said Steve MacLean , the polar marine program director for The Nature Conservancy in Alaska , one of the partners in the rat-ridding effort.
No gnawing was apparent on the waxy, peanut butter-infused bait blocks that, if bitten, would signal that rats are still present nearly a year after crews dropped 700 pounds of poison-laced pellets. A research team will return next year to be sure they killed all the rats, but MacLean said it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider calling the island by what's thought to be its original name, Howadax, which means "entry" or "welcome" in the Aleut language.
"We would love nothing better than to return an Aleut name to the island," he said.
The project has had some ecological side effects, however. Scientists found more than 250 dead birds on Rat Island last spring when they returned for the first time since the island was baited. Those carcasses tested positive for brodifacoum, the poison used on the rats. Scientists had anticipated that some gulls would die, but the deaths of 43 bald eagles surprised and disappointed them.(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I especially liked the part where the morons in charge of the project were "surprised" when the 700 lbs of poison they put out killed something other than rats.
When I saw “Rat Island” in the headline, I was picturing a resort for Democrats.
What, the idiots in charge of the project, or the rats?
Generally the law frowns on indiscriminate large-scale poisoning of Democrats. Particularly those that make large campaign contributions.
The bald eagles, being carnivores, ate the dead rats. Now all we have to do is to have PETA convince the bald eagles to become vegetarians.
That’s “Martha’s Vinyard”.
It’s too late,The rats are all in Washington D.C.
LOL! I was, too. In fact......it sounds like ‘Alcatraz for Dims’.
maybe this could work in all major US cities, afterall, they are all terribly RAT infested?
Would it be an appropriate site for my “Rock in the Aleutians” solution? (See my FReeper profile)
Once upon a time those guys were dedicated to science and doing their jobs well, but since the early ‘80s the old guys retired or were forced out by hacks, PCers, envirowackos, and similar ilk.
“...but the deaths of 43 bald eagles surprised and disappointed them.”
Why were the persons putting out bait not punished for killing bald eagles?
Ooh, ooh, are you the brother that killed my dirty rat?
$3 million and 43 bald eagles. Mighty expensive rat killing.
Yr tx $ @ work.
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