United States|A rat sighting made in the summer keeps the residents and authorities of Saint Paul Island still on the lookout.
Stateside A special rat hunt is underway on the island of Saint Paul, which belongs to the state of Alaska.
A possible eyewitness sighting of a single rat in the summer triggered The Guardian by extensive search operations that are still ongoing. In the beginning, the authorities reacted quickly to the sighting by going through the grassy areas and placing traps and cameras on the island.
So far, however, there has been no sign of the rat, but the authorities have remained vigilant.
Normally, a single sighting of rats would not trigger such an operation, but Saint Paul Island has a diverse but sensitive nature that is disturbed by alien species. Rats traveling on ships can even destroy bird populations and disturb the rest of the island’s ecosystem.
Similar devastation has been observed elsewhere in Alaska and the world, the head of the agency responsible for protecting the island’s ecosystem Lauren Divine says.
“A threat is never one that the community takes lightly.”
Rodents have been eradicated from hundreds of islands around the world, but measures to eradicate an entire species can take years and cost millions.
In addition to the traps set by the authorities on the island, the community of 350 people has been asked to remain vigilant in case of rat sightings. The island has also asked for permission to transport a dog to the island, which could potentially track the rat. Normally, dogs are also prohibited on the island.
The last rat-trapping operation lasted almost a year on the island. A rat that jumped to the island from the barge was found dead in 2019.
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