Scientists to exterminate Rat Island residents (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- More than 200 years ago, rats jumped ship for Rat Island.

The muscular Norway rat climbed ashore on the rugged, uninhabited island in far southwestern Alaska in 1780 after a rodent-infested Japanese ship ran aground. It was the first time rats had made it to Alaska.

Since then, Rat Island, as the piece of rock was dubbed by a sea captain in the 1800s, has gone eerily silent. The sounds of birds are missing.

That is because the rats feed on eggs, chicks and adult seabirds, which come to the mostly treeless island to nest on the ground or in crevices in the volcanic rock.

"As far as bird life, it is a dead zone," said Steve Ebbert, a biologist at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, whose 2,500 mostly uninhabited islands include the Aleutian chain, of which Rat Island is a part.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/11/28/ratisland.ap/index.html

[kestrel91316]

1. Oh, dear. PETA will not be happy to hear this.

[dbackjon]

2. Long overdue

[Warpy]

3. Invasive species need to go

even when they're feral house cats on the Galapagos Islands, and I'm the original cat lover.

[DCKit]

4. Ha!! You want to see evolution in action, compare those rats to any where food is plentiful.

The Alaskan rats would beat them up then eat them.

[Turbineguy]

5. Gee, that's too bad

it seems like the perfect place for Chimpy to retire to.