Hacker News Reader

Comment by Namidairo | Hacker News Reader

We have something of a mouse plague here in rural New South Wales (Australia) at the moment.[1]

Such measures wouldn't even begin to put a dent in numbers here.

Right now they're trying to fast-track approval of some quite strong pesticides in an effort to control it, but some are worried about the collateral damage.[2]

Warning: Many pictures of mice dead and alive.

[1] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-11/farmers-step-up-battl...

[2] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-24/nsw-mouse-plague-farm...

View on HN

New Zealand has a "Predator Free 2050" program to eliminate all non-native predators by 2050 because they are threatening New Zealand's bird species.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predator_Free_2050

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48702762

Although a much smaller feat, New Zealand was very successful in eradicating an estimated 200.000 mice from Antipodes Island without affecting native animals populations [1]

There is an interesting video about the preparatory research leading up to this highly successful pest eradication [2]

Very curious to see how well the Predator Free 2050 program will turn out.

[1] https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/eradicating-mice-from-antip...

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVcqLblOHCM

Will be interesting to see how well this works given the political impossibility of eradicating cats.

Well this has a non-zero chance of turning into "Unchecked prey 2050" in reality.

The program is specifically about non-native predators, not all predators.

You're assuming NZ has significant native predators. But it doesn't have any major native mammalian predator.

https://www.nznatureguy.com/2019/04/10/new-zealands-big-3-pr...

One interesting "proof" of it is the Kiwi bird existing, because it could have not existed with competent predators.

If you don't have a native predator then you don't have a native prey either. Need a predator for there to be a prey.

Another former French colony still has a rat (well, beaver sized rat) bounty-- Louisiana's $6/tail Nutria bounty!

https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_a5b2f5f6-99f4-...

Is this a cyclical event brought on by a natural phenomenon like mautam, the rat flood?

[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mautam

Yes and no.

We do often see a cyclical rise in the populations of rats, however a population increase of this size has never been recorded before. It is currently 400% of the size of the last record holder, and still growing.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com