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Comment by cpeterso | Hacker News Reader

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

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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.

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