NZ leads the world in clearing islands of animal predators

NZ leads the world in clearing islands of animal predators
Possums are one of the pests common in NZ. (Image: Getty)
Greg Hurrell
A global survey of island pest eradication since 1872 shows New Zealand is the clear leader, responsible for nearly a quarter of all projects.The study was the first to look at all efforts to eradicate invasive vertebrate species from islands worldwide. It looked at 1,550 invasive mammal eradication efforts on 998 islands.The overall success rate was 88% and the number of eradications had risen significantly from the 1980s. The report, titled "The global contribution of invasive vertebrate eradication as a key island restoration tool&...

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