Rat eradication comes within a whisker! A case study of a failed project from the South Pacific

Despite efforts to eradicate invasive rats from Henderson Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the South Pacific, the project fell short by a narrow margin. Genetic analysis revealed that only about 50–80 rats survived the initial baiting with brodifacoum, indicating a near-successful eradication attempt. The study excluded reintroduction as the cause for the rat resurgence and found no signs of resistance to the toxicant in the surviving population. This case study provides valuable insights into the challenges of large-scale invasive species control and offers lessons for future conservation efforts.

Amos, W., Nichols, H. J., Churchyard, T., & Brooke, M. d. L. (2016). Rat eradication comes within a whisker! A case study of a failed project from the South Pacific. Royal Society Open Science, 3(4), 160110. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160110