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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

South Georgia now Rat free (1 Viewer)

Indeed, truly amazing feat - Id like to go in 2030 and see the recovery, assuming I can still get in / out of a zodiac then!

cheers, alan
 
That really is wonderful news. Thanks for letting us know Andy.
 
Excellent if true . . . but absence is impossible to prove; it would not be surprising if a small handul have survived and soon breed to re-occupy the ground
 
Excellent if true . . . but absence is impossible to prove; it would not be surprising if a small handul have survived and soon breed to re-occupy the ground


Extensive searches with trained sniffer dogs suggests none, but they accept they need to be vigilant and be ready to tackle any that did survive. Additionally, the areas that were occupied by rats were fragmented and separated by ice that the rats did not cross - they reported that this is what made the eradication possible, ie the unlikelihood of recolonisation from areas yet to be cleared.
 
Extensive searches with trained sniffer dogs suggests none, but they accept they need to be vigilant and be ready to tackle any that did survive. Additionally, the areas that were occupied by rats were fragmented and separated by ice that the rats did not cross - they reported that this is what made the eradication possible, ie the unlikelihood of recolonisation from areas yet to be cleared.

Good to know, but it's a huge area to check - total 3,756 km2; not been able to find a figure for % ice-free, but even if it's only 10%, that's still 375 km2 to check!

The news report I saw suggests the entire island is now rat-free, no areas 'yet to be cleared'.
 
Additionally, the areas that were occupied by rats were fragmented and separated by ice that the rats did not cross - they reported that this is what made the eradication possible, ie the unlikelihood of recolonisation from areas yet to be cleared.

The news report I saw suggests the entire island is now rat-free, no areas 'yet to be cleared'.

The whole island is now cleared they believe. The 'yet to be cleared' comment related to during the eradication process over the period of the operation - if one area was cleared, but populations persisted in another, they did not recolonise - this they believe made it easier for the subsequent stages.
 
I've just returned from the Atlantic Odyssey trip which included 3 days at South Georgia. The results from the eradication are already obvious. South Georgia Pipit was scarce and almost confined to offshore islands at the height of the problem but it has now quickly spread to many areas of the mainland and is quite common in the appropriate habitat. It will be harder to assess a recovery in seabird numbers, mainly as there are so many seabirds in such a large area; a comparative survey will take some time to organise. Larger species will be easier to judge (eg Albatrosses), but when prions and diving-petrels are already into the millions, judging the extent of increase will be 'work in progress'.
The island is a truly fantastic place and a reflection of a hugely rich area of the South Atlantic. I can only imagine what it will be like in 10 years time.

Mark
 
This report has a lot of additional information about the program and it's (short-term) impact on SG birdlife. I visited in 2011 and remember there being pellets everywhere, along with the odd dead Brown Skua. IMO a small price to pay for the long term benefits, but in other settings the side effects on rarer animal species need to be taken into consideration, as concluded in the report.
All in all a fantastic effort :t:

https://www.gov.gs/docsarchive/Environment/Invasive Species/SG non target final 4 September 2017.pdf

Joost
 
I only hope that restrictions will not make it (even) more difficult and expensive to visit South Georgia.
 
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