Tons of Poison Will Be Launched on Island in $26 Million Operation to Save Birds from Predatory Rats

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 12/08/2025 at 16:48

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Domestic Rats Devastate Seabirds on Marion Island, and Million-Dollar Operation Aims to Eradicate Pest Before Species Disappear Forever

Marion Island, located in South Africa, has always been an important refuge and breeding ground for seabirds. However, this reality changed drastically after the arrival of domestic rats in the 19th century, brought by seal hunters.

Over time, these rodents began to attack not only wandering albatross chicks but also adult specimens, devouring them alive.

Most importantly, hundreds of thousands of birds die each year as a direct result of these attacks.

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Mouse-Free Marion Project

In 2023, conservationist Mark Anderson revealed that it was that year it was discovered that rats were already attacking adult albatrosses, a serious advancement in the threat.

To tackle the problem, the Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) project emerged, proposing to bomb the island with baits mixed with rat poison.

The operation is estimated to cost 26 million dollars, about 535 million reais. Funding comes from government support and fundraising campaigns.

The goal is to eliminate all rats from an area of 30,000 hectares of the island.

Anton Wolfaardt, the scientist leading the MFM, explained to The Current that the measure is urgent. According to him, if the rodents are not eradicated, most seabirds on Marion Island, including the wandering albatross, could disappear locally within 30 to 100 years.

Logistical Challenges of the Project

Despite the urgency, the application of poison by helicopters is not expected to occur until 2027. The delay is due to the size and topographical complexity of the island.

Wolfaardt highlighted that scientists are still analyzing data and developing contingency plans to ensure that each rodent receives a lethal dose, considering different environmental variables.

This precision is crucial for achieving the objective. Any failure could compromise effectiveness and increase the risk of resistance among the rodents.

The Risk of the Hydra Effect

The control of the rat population also faces a biological risk known as the Hydra Effect. This phenomenon describes situations where the reduction of a species, instead of eliminating it, leads to its subsequent increase.

In the case of the rats on Marion Island, they can have four to five litters per year, with six to eight pups each.

If part of the population survives the poison, they could reproduce rapidly, making eradication even more difficult.

An example of this effect occurred in California, when experts attempted to eradicate European green crabs in a lagoon.

After five years, they reduced the population from 100,000 to 10,000 individuals. However, the elimination of the adults, which fed on the young, triggered uncontrolled growth of the juveniles.

The result was a population explosion that raised the number of crabs to 300,000.

Moreover, this history serves as a warning that the operation on Marion Island should be planned with extreme care.

Success will depend on achieving the total elimination of rodents, preventing the problem from worsening in the future.

With information from Xataka.

Tons of Poison Will Be Launched on Island in $26 Million Operation to Save Birds from Predatory Rats

Domestic Rats Devastate Seabirds on Marion Island, and Million-Dollar Operation Aims to Eradicate Pest Before Species Disappear Forever

Mouse-Free Marion Project

Logistical Challenges of the Project

The Risk of the Hydra Effect

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Tons of Poison Will Be Launched on Island in $26 Million Operation to Save Birds from Predatory Rats

Domestic Rats Devastate Seabirds on Marion Island, and Million-Dollar Operation Aims to Eradicate Pest Before Species Disappear Forever

Mouse-Free Marion Project

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