The Wipe Out of Invasive Predators in New Zealand

New Zealand has recently announced that they have decided to eliminate invasive predators by the year 2050. These predators, such as rats and weasels, are responsible for killing 25 million native birds each year. The pests also disrupt other native species and the environment as a whole. Killing these predators will also help to protect the livestock by controlling the spread of disease because they are the main carriers of a harmful disease for cattle and deer called bovine TB.

Shown in the picture above is the flightless Kiwi, New Zealand's beloved native bird that is now on the endangered list due to these invasive rats and weasels. New Zealand has already started techniques to kill off the predators with the use of traps and poisons dropped by air. The country is in the process of developing stronger techniques, but these treatments come with high costs, both environmentally and financially. Animal rights activists are very much against New Zealand's plans. Prime Minister John Key states that this is "the most ambitious conservation project attempted anywhere in the world".