Sunday, November 18, 2012

180 million rats?

On Galapagos Islands Ecuadorian authorities are working on getting rid of the millions of non-native rats. These rats have apparently been causing problems for years eating eggs of many of the incredible species that live on Galapagos Islands. Also the rats have been gnawing away at many special plant species. Many of these animal and plants species are slowly on their way to becoming extinct because of the rats. On one island the rat infestation has now reached one per square foot, where an estimated 180 million rodents reside. The plan to get rid of these rats is simple. Phase one, drop poison from a plane. "The poisoned bait, developed by Bell Laboratories in the United States, is contained in light blue cubes that attract rats but are repulsive to other inhabitants of the islands. The one-centimeter-square cubes disintegrate in a week or so." They're hoping that the cubes, which dry the rats body from the inside out ( without the smell ), will help save the Galapagos environment and help protect the many different species that live there.

 http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/16/15218670-180-million-rats-on-galapagos-island-targeted-with-poison?lite#__utma=238145375.1237306452.1353282967.1353282967.1353282967.1&__utmb=238145375.2.10.1353282967&__utmc=238145375&__utmx=-&__utmz=238145375.1353282967.1.1.utmcsr=%28direct%29|utmccn=%28direct%29|utmcmd=%28none%29&__utmv=238145375.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc|world%20news=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.msnbc.msn.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=90402265

1 comment:

  1. I hate rats. I think they are disgusting but it is not right that the rats will be poisoned. I think that another way should be proposed in getting rid of them. However, I do think it is awful that these rats are eating many species of plants and animals. It is terrible that these species may become extinct because of these rats. Many environments are already being destroyed by humans so rats destroying these environments will make them disappear twice as fast. I hope that these laboratories find another humane way to get rid of these rats other than being killed.

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