The Rat Apocalypse in New Zealand

[@TheAtlantic]

Watch the previous episode of the Idea File: Why Being Skinny Used to Be Easier: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZOkiHVri6yVeNE

[@Noox_n_Crannees]

This video tries to make it seem that us Kiwis trap rats like it's some kind of hobby. We don't want to do it, it just has to be done.

[@Noox_n_Crannees]

@Steve Wilcox Bruh, we do this all the time, of course, we're doing it

[@cathy-pz2to]

no judgement from me Just wondering by your statement, do you like animals? Do you like rats?

[@JakeAtkinson43]

Um, it's a hobby for me

[@cam553]

Great free range pets. I’ve got two in the courtyard at my unit. I’ve got a birds nest here that I’ve watched 5 Eurasian blackbird chicks hatch in, and the rats never touch it. They will pop out to clean up bread crumbs and apple cores that the birds have already had first dibs on. One disappears behind a terracotta pot and the other hides in between the fence panels. They are delightful to watch, especially carrying food. They bounce over the rocks and zip up the trees.

[@hdhfjfkeir5291]

I kill every rat/mouse I see no matter what

[@sophroniel]

I used to live just round the corner from Zealandia about 5 months ago. Honestly, fat kereru? My favs. Tui calls in the morning? Ruru at night? incredible. Bring on rodent free NZ

[@Gee-xb7rt]

get rid of the biggest non-native rodent population, the American tech billionaires

[@sophroniel]

@@Gee-xb7rt c o n s u m e t h e r i c h

[@parkchimmin7913]

Sophia Neilsson EAT THE RICH

[@lillygirl8436]

Lol where is this place ur talking about cos I never heard of that place ur talking about . And I live in New Zealand lolzzzz

[@aviendha1154]

@@lillygirl8436 Zealandia is a sanctuary and its in Wellington. Karori to be specific. Alternatively you could Google it, it's legit the first thing that comes up.

[@JAMANB]

Here in NY we have a huge rat problem, except ours talk to the FBI.

[@hjones1]

Apparently, the rats have also taken over ALL of Hollywood, some even make really crappy movies.

[@westernyay1701]

JAMANB while I was in New York a group of rats held me at gunpoint and ransacked my shitty apartment

[@FillipeBunchOfNumbers3210]

Best of luck, kiwis! Remember that the aussies lost the war on emus...

[@nelsonth]

Not really.

[@demos1198]

Except this time the pests are invading an actually competent country.

[@10AntsTapDancing]

Emus are native to Australia.

[@demos1198]

@@10AntsTapDancing He already said that.... He said that the Aussies lost a war to the emus. The Aussies are Australian........

[@10AntsTapDancing]

@@demos1198 If the emu is native to Australia how can you lose a war to them?Why would you have a war against a native species? Rats are not native to NZ so we have a war against them to get rid of them because they are killing our native birds. I don't understand your point. I think you misunderstood some where along the way.

[@northernbright7602]

Alberta province in Canada is rat free. 3x the size of New Zealand. They literally have a rat patrol to exterminate them due to farming. If ever an infestation, quarantined and then they’re decimated. BUT alas, tons of mice. 🐁

[@someotherdude]

Cut it out, did anyone check every square foot of Alberta? Give it up.

[@Gabriel1o1]

Documentary, news reports... anything. truly curious

[@andreaskonig3767]

There is no way you can eradicate one species and hope to God that it will bring peace or even keep the balance... The only way to bring back balance is to get rid of the ever destructive homo sapiens. One way or the other, they fight the natural order of things in this world. And their (politicians and conglomerate species!) best ever effort is pitching one against the other so we are herded into believing their crappy "logic". Yes, I believe that now another "pest" has made its nest among us. Why people still believe that eradication is the key is beyond me.

[@jessicarabbit417]

Alberta should take australias feral cats, we could spay/neuter them all and send them out there

[@northernbright7602]

jessica rabbit Excellent!! 🤩They’d be perfect toothpicks for our coyotes 😂😉

[@matthewbrooker]

But what about the cat population?

[@ligametis]

Arent cats also predators that could endanger the local bird population?

[@shoulders-of-giants]

good point

[@ohalloranpeter]

It's a huge problem as well. And they don't just live in the cities. Cats are starting to become a political issue because they are not regulated at all like dogs are.

[@demos1198]

@Tidder T They live everywhere... strays with no food head to the bush where eggs of our birds (which are mainly grounded and flightless) are easy pickings.

[@demos1198]

@Tidder T we dont have a jungle as such. we call it native bush, technically not in the jungle. but yes they live in the native bush, they arent supposed to and arent from that ecosystem, but they do.

[@redrockcrf4663]

It is a bit disappointing that the Video didn't explain the concept of "mainland islands", of which Zealandia is only one. We create a predator proof fence around an area, trying to simulate the success of our offshore predator-free sanctuaries. As the number of these grow, it is possible to join them, and after a while the area actively being trapped plateaus then declines, and the habitat available to the predators greatly reduces.

[@Scapestoat]

I love how the image of the "rat apocalypse" is a happy, well fed rat, yawning.

[@maneki_neko4283]

we're just gonna create selective pressures which end up helping the evolution of super strong, sneaky, unkillable breed of rats

[@Silkendrum]

...sorta like what we've done with bacteria.

[@rokinco8598]

doesnt work that way, trust me

[@lunani4251]

Might as well make them Pokémon

[@DeusVult77763]

yes, you a random commenter know more than scientists how have spent their whole careers studying and testing this. Don't you love how everyone is an expert on everything these days? Guess we no longer need university or grad school anymore.

[@Bettersucksaul]

@@DeusVult77763 You're so pissed at a joke lmao go outside

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Excellent video. Quite interesting, worthwhile, and professionally presented.

[@nzwotb2525]

I'm a new Zealander and I catch about 20 rats a week

[@tebogomathete]

Wow

[@kutter_ttl6786]

Thank you for your service.

[@snigie1]

I just catch gonorrhoea in Hamilton

[@robbiekop7]

Does that mean you never go hungry 🐭🍔😁

[@theotheseaeagle]

Not from New Zealand but good job anyway

[@lillygirl8436]

I live in New Zealand and I never heard of this . My cat's and dog catch rats and I live in the middle of no where by a river and a kiwifruit orchard

[@andreaskonig3767]

Cats are the best rat-trapper there are around. The 1080 poison drops are doing so much harm that one can only hope that one does not get hit by the drop buckets... they fly even where we live. Scary stuff.

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@andreaskonig3767 yep, poisoning is incredibly dangerous for wildlife, as not only is it a slow painful death for the rats, the poison remains in the corpse so when another animal eats them they too get poisoned

[@ryandanger9333]

Well dont drop pesticides. Use the genetic option. Drop the GMO rats from the pesticide chopper. Whoopee...

[@liamvandenheuvel4332]

Some pesticides are the only option we have in NZ for widespread pest control, especially of possums and stoats which are arguably more destructive than rats. 1080 gets a lot of bad press for how useful it is for pest control...

[@Pestfreetoken]

Saving our native birds is paramount! Thanks for shedding light on our fight 💚

[@Babyshoes777]

Humans have hunted many animals to extinction, make some sort of Financial incentive, they’ll be gone by Christmas 😂

[@kiwiquinton4796]

ricecristi not necessarily possums which is another big pest here in New Zealand are plucked and skinned for their fur but there is still a huge population of them estimated at around 30 million and the current price for 1 kg of plucked fur is $130 nzd and around $20-$30 nzd per skin depending on the quality of the skin so financial incentive won’t do much. Also the extreme geography of some parts of New Zealand can make it difficult to eradicate the rats unless some sort of pesticide (mainly 1080) is dropped which also has its drawbacks. In my opinion pest free New Zealand is an impossible goal especially when you consider domesticated cats because if they’re not inside 24/7 they will still kill New Zealand’s native birds if they get the chance.

[@someotherdude]

That is actually the closest thing to something that might succeed.

[@Alternatives_Universum]

@@kiwiquinton4796 There should be a duty to sterilise all cats sold as pets in NZ before being sold.

[@andrewbailey4991]

Cobra Effect anyone

[@KeeACNH]

i was pretty bummed when i read the title , but watching it now it makes sense . I hope everything works out for them !

[@dana7197]

The province of Alberta in Canada love to gloat about being rat free. I live here and we are. Perhaps they may have some ideas or info that may help New Zealand make some informed decisions about their rat problem

[@andreaskonig3767]

If we had a rat problem that is.

[@FrancisCWolfe]

I don't think the Maoris' ships looked like that somehow.

[@donbrashsux]

No they didn’t ..lol

[@esso0527]

I'm pretty sure they(rats) were brought from england or europe

[@Udontkno7]

@@esso0527 No, most likely from trade with the nations in the area, which did have trade with China, and China with the Middle East, and them with Europe. The video did say the 13th century, and England, or any of Europe, wasn't doing anything in the area.

[@hopeshealthnz9704]

Umm no. 😂 We have wakas.. And we also didn't bring ships because we lived in nz first.. But the English.. As per usual.

[@demos1198]

@@Udontkno7 um no. seiki is right. The rats that are in this video are european rats or brown rats. They brought them over around the 1700's. The Maori brought over Pacific rats (another breed) in the 13th century and aren't really as much of a pest because they pretty much died out (they were hunted for food). The British colonised us in around the 1700's and brought them along in ships. We were not trading with other countries until the British arrived. Heck, France wanted to take us over, not trade.

[@donbrashsux]

The bird life has come back so strong in the reserves that have been cleaned out vermin ..thanks to Doc...and the fantastic work they have done..it’s amazing to hear them all singing and swooping past you as you walk the tracks..I was so surprised.. I have even seen up close to my amazement..the very rare n shy Kakapo which numbers are only below 300 ..

[@theotheseaeagle]

Hopefully you kiwis start a kakapo breeding programme. That could help the numbers bounce back even more

[@Longtack55]

@@theotheseaeagle That has been going on since 1948 when kakapo was rediscovered. My dad saw a dog kill two of them in the "bad old days."

[@1101nz]

Most kiwis arnt out trapping rats. My cat has caught plenty

[@lillygirl8436]

Exactly . Duno who made this stupid video

[@andreaskonig3767]

mine too. We bought a house in the bush and we found the house infested with rats. Cat came, rats are gone. EASY, isn't it

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@andreaskonig3767 I hope your cats are fixed so they don’t go making babies which can turn into ferals and potentially damage the NZ ecosystem

[@andreaskonig3767]

@@theotheseaeagle You don't know much about cats, do you? You obviously don't know much about the eco system either or you wouldn't talk such nonsense. Got an education? However, you haven't much knowledge.

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@andreaskonig3767 I know enough about cats to have the common sense to spay and neuter my animals

[@jessicacole8404]

*My family used to have Norwegian rats and it was horrible. My mom used to have one that would visit her late at night when she would sit up and pay the bills, so she named it David (also my dad's name). Good times*

[@Longtack55]

I thought she might have called it "Bill" on account of them having negative connotations. Davids worldwide have hurt feelings.

[@sunnymagnuson1809]

They need to start breeding coyotes , owls and cats. Ive seen cats kill rats almost as big as they are

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@emmakehely agreed. In areas like Europe, Asia and Africa where the local ecosystem evolved alongside cats so the wildlife has evolved to cope with them, they can be extremely good at eradicating pests, but where they are invasive like in New Zealand and Australia, it’ll just make things 100x worse

[@annbradley517]

Good luck. Rats are intelligent.

[@julianskinner3697]

True, but so are we.

[@theotheseaeagle]

Not that intelligent though, although they have been known to avoid traps etc, one way or another they do something stupid that gets them killed

[@johanlarsson9805]

I knew straight away this video would deal with crisper and gene drives. Dangerous and amazing.

[@heythereanxiouskid8305]

What’s the name of the bird on 3:47? It looks like such a cute puff ball :)

[@heythereanxiouskid8305]

Pure gold Protect birbs

[@Its.just.mee3]

@@StrawberryKitten hahah yes 😂

[@rickh3714]

Kakapo. World's heaviest Parrot. Nocturnal lek bird that booms for it's missus. Flightless.

[@ksoundkaiju9256]

hey there anxious kid Kakapo

[@nigelworters3667]

Common nickname is moss chicken lol

[@mice8791]

Ed Yong has such a nice voice.

[@Danielevans2]

My Auntie fights for this in NZ! So proud of her for saving the natural animals

[@andreaskonig3767]

So since when are rats not natural animals??? I like to follow your logic, but sorry, I cant.

[@Danielevans2]

@@andreaskonig3767 natural is specific to regions and climates, new Zealand has been able to make the most beautiful birds in the world because it was untouched for millions of years by mammals. Humans have made alot of distruction in NZ but rats are near impossible to control and will kill this ecosystem that's no where else is the world. Fine if you have natural predetors like owls, but there are none of that type in nz

[@tylerbozinovski427]

*native

[@1sttigertiger426]

The use of crispr to eliminate rats in New Zealand will be create unintended consequences. ...genetic mutations which make the rats stronger? Will any of these inserted genes cross species?

[@MaureenLycaon]

With rats? For the genes to cross species, the rats would have to mate with another species and produce viable young. And trust me, there are no rat-bird hybrids. ;)

[@zippygundoo5852]

Awesome video, thanks

[@smoker_joe]

"To make them infertile". Nice idea. How can you spread genes if the first generation is infertile ?

[@Fessel34]

You make one of the genders infertile.

[@samanthawest2162]

Dig giant holes and put tarp in the hole 🕳 then put water in, then sticks over it. Just a suggestion, don’t know if it will work.

[@AmmyBelle]

Alberta Canada doesn't have rats so ... it's possible, I suppose.

[@jamesoakley5742]

Really curios why alberta wasn't mentioned? WAYYYY bigger than NZ and has no rats at all.

[@robertvanderbaan3722]

I really like this endeavor. Look at using a 5 gallon bucket as trap. It's very effective. The key is to remove quicker than multiplication. I have placed such a trap next to a dumpster and den and received close to 30 rats over 4 days. Cleaned it morning and night. It's so easy to make.

[@accidentalcatalyst1003]

The weirdest thing is that on many vids of rat infested farmland around the world, the comments are cut off...why would that be? Is there something to hide?

[@zackzack9341]

if a zombie outbreak occurs we will know where it started

[@Pallethands]

2:33 to get to the point

[@pattyoconnell3416]

Saw your story on Paul Begley video today,

[@An_Imperial_Guard.]

Small, fat, doesn't run fast. God, evolution nerfed the kiwis too much...

[@yosephog5509]

GOD and evolution in same sentence 😂

[@demos1198]

@@yosephog5509 but they don't have the same context... God as in "oh wow, shocking".

[@halicusnguyen8864]

Me: *hears the word CRISPR* *_Kurzgesagt intensifies_*

[@Ben-tj8cy]

We have not been fucking around with rats in New Zealand I treat them like mates every time I see one I’ll go “hey Cob! How’s it?”

[@Proteus6684]

I feel like it is more important to develop an anti nuclear warhead ie ABM program that is very widespread(ie linking in with Australia) as this is the number one country to survive a nuclear apocalypse.

[@d-padqueen1103]

Rat contraceptive bait has been more successful in other areas, rats are smart and eventually avoid anything where they know other rats have been killed or poisoned.

[@lumpydark6173]

hard to imagine rats being exterminated from places where humans are apart from tiny islands because wherever we go they usually follow xP

[@theotheseaeagle]

Yep, that’s how rats and mice are literally found on every continent nowadays. Because where ever hunans seem to go 99% of the time rats go as well

[@wooddawg4868]

Put bowls of beer out for them.

[@bruhroof]

nicen thanks for the vid

[@RickP2012]

They want to "git rud of the rets by twinty fufty". At least that's what I heard.

[@abesapien9930]

Lol

[@Luke12vs48]

Ha ha ha 🤣 - I’m a NZ’er and your pronunciation is (hilariously) pretty good!

[@sneepsnorp1404]

And here I am in America enjoying my domesticated rats lol.

[@helzshailer]

Haha... I'm in New Zealand and BREED domestic rats...

[@soko4710]

taiga doesn't live in america and doesn't own rats. her boyfriend has a parrot. poser

[@desertblbuesman]

3 cheers for The Atlantic

[@stover14]

Dude I haven't been trapping rats.

[@Gehenna71]

Oh a walking pizza. I only get to see walking pizza crusts because the neighbors eat the pizza but not the crust.

[@MONi_LALA]

Do New Zealand have some kind of hawk? Or maybe just let your cat run around outside for an hour. Not a great solution but it's something to think about

[@soko4710]

Yes, New Zealand has swamp harriers. They don't specialise in eating rats and certainty don't keep the rat population down. Keep your cats indoors.

[@nigelworters3667]

Feral cats are almost as big a problem as the rats. Even worse stoats were introduced to control rabbits and discovered birds are much easier to catch... and we still have rabbit plagues

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@nigelworters3667 birds aren’t generally easier to catch. It’s just New Zealand’s wildlife didn’t evolve alongside mammalian predators so don’t understand that they are dangerous

[@theotheseaeagle]

@@soko4710 I’m from the UK, cats aren’t invasive over here. If your from Australia or New Zealand then yes definitely keep your cats indoors 👍🏼

[@soko4710]

@@theotheseaeagle Feral cats are just wild domestic cats. Domestic cats, Felis catus, are a man-made species and are therefore not native to anywhere in the wild, making feral cats an invasive species wherever they exist. In the case of the UK in particular, the pure Scottish Wildcat has probably gone extinct because of competition and hybridisation with feral cats. Allowing cats to free-roam in the UK may be extremely popular, but that does not mean that it is right. Don't be so outrageously ignorant. P. S. I am the co-owner of an indoor cat, so don't bother trying to call me a raging cat-hater.

[@PepinsSpot]

The world wide irradiation idea is preposterous. There is always going to be individuals that are not affected by the gene drive, if anything rapid evolution with render the gene inactive. I say New Zealand is the perfect place to try this out.

[@guncontrolisusingbothhands2331]

Rat problem? Ever heard of a creature called a cat?

[@eternaloutlaw2634]

Cats eat birds idiot

[@michaelheliotis5279]

It's also a mentality that has already exacerbated the problem. Hence ferrets and stoats, who were supposed to eliminate other introduced species, are now also targeted for elimination alongside the rats.

[@soko4710]

Keep your cats indoors in the US, too.

[@guncontrolisusingbothhands2331]

K Low - People eat birds too, moron. I would rather have a bunch of cats than a bunch of rats. Just wait until a rat gets underneath the hood of your car and chews the wires. You'll be begging for a cat.

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

@@guncontrolisusingbothhands2331 Almost all current NZ native birds are pretty uneatable to humans. The ones which weren't went extinct in the 800/1000 yrs since humans arrived. The only real exception are the native wood pigeons, the Kererū and you get less meat of them than a small chicken. We are eradicating feral cats as well at the rats.

[@yffips]

What is the problem with CRISPR gene drive in rats escaping NZ? Are rats beneficial anywhere? Don't we all want to be rid of them?

[@lewislinzy3437]

You need more cats. I had that problem before I got a bunch of cats.

[@owenwoodward4467]

Cats are even worse. We also trap and kill thousands of feral cats, hopefully wipe them out too.

[@ghostmourn]

A great example of why we humans are fucking hopeless.

[@randomonium19473]

As much as I love and support the cause. Don't support your environmental science cause with a "science writer". Be legitimate journalists. Read and cite your sources. Use actual scientists, a science writer isn't a biologist. And above all else. Use more than one source

[@MagicFlyingMan]

You mean like scientific journals? Which the public already loves to read, right? Writing for the public is a learned skill that most scientists struggle with.

[@errhka]

A science writer does exactly what you are saying - it's easy for journalists to go to them for info because they've already read these papers and can break down the information in them in a more timely way. (if they are doing their jobs correctly) You don't always have to go directly to scientific papers for correct information.

[@ckryegrass11]

And people complain about feral cats.

[@leelaaloolaa3928]

There’s some rats that come to my school,man they’re annoying

[@joeyjay1662]

I'd Call The "Pied Pipper" To Eradicate The Rat Problem.--He's "The Expert" In Rat Control...!!

[@JohnDaker_singer]

They can knock the population back, but more will come on container ships, airplanes, and fishing boats. The same way they got there in the first place.

[@laserbrain7774]

poisons and genomes are terrible ideas.

[@TekkLuthor]

So... What they're saying is that cats aren't allowed in New Zeeland

[@nigelworters3667]

We have the highest rate of cat ownership in the world. They are almost as significant a problem as the rats

[@imariorivera]

Rats are like covid 19they spread to every part of the plnet

[@wakazimaru]

New Zealand experiences Vermintide.

[@osop1858]

Imagine they infect humans accidently? Like the infection gets in the water or something

[@finkythepoo]

Bats weren’t the only mammals. You’re forgetting about seals and sea lions.

[@michaelheliotis5279]

Yeah, but they didn't really live _in_ New Zealand; more _around_ it.

[@soko4710]

Bats are the only terrestrial mammals.

[@finkythepoo]

Seals spend half their lives on land and so by definition are terrestrial. If my house is by the sea does that mean I don’t live in New Zealand?

[@PaithanXOX]

Well I think it is a good idea. More and more cities get a rat problem. Even in coutries were they have an excellent garbage collect systems. It looks like Pokemon catching.

[@teamhuman2]

So dumb to use poisons though

[@peruface]

For those population that eat rats, then it spreads to those humans?

[@demos1198]

No one eats rats here

[@deaddiamond6302]

O no. The plague infecters are invading again

[@antiawarenessawarenessclub]

How would a gene that causes infertility get inherited if the organism can no longer reproduce?

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

You just introduce it so it only affects male fertility. After not too many generations of only females being fertile you have a population crash once you get to point where all males can't mate successfully.

[@zionnuby842]

Why do there rats look higher end than ours?

[@PrecioustheMovie1]

you're powerleveling these rats!

[@captainamerica9028]

leave those poor rats alone. I'm calling the queen

[@captainamerica9028]

I'm telling the Queen and she is gonna spank your butt and make you bow an extra day a week.

[@thatcoolkidjoey]

They should probably get rid of the ferrets and possums first because if they get rid of all the rats then the possum parents won't have anything to eat and they'll start eating in the birds more

[@demos1198]

Possums don't target rats over birds anyways. The problem with rats and ferrets is that they are smaller, whereas possums can climb. But that isn't really an advantage for them cause most birds are flightless

[@soko4710]

what? possums don't eat rats. possums, roof rats, weasels, and stoats are all good at climbing. some brown rats and ferrets can climb, too.

[@demos1198]

@@soko4710 I mean possums more likely live in the trees and I don't know how you got that I said possums eat rat lol.

[@nigelworters3667]

The idea is to target all 3 species at once. Poisoning rats a possums directly which then poison the ferrets and stoats when they eat the dead rats and possums

[@nigelworters3667]

Oh and the the two main rats we have here are the black or ships rat and the Norwegian rat. Both are good climbers. We also have the Polynesian rat but it is pretty close to extinction on the mainland thanks to the other two

[@michellet7013]

Nooooo on the gene modification. The fenced area is a better idea.

[@reflecting6189]

13th century boats and you use european boats? dont erase the maori

[@juniorreyes6445]

Ben malah calling Danny a rat

[@thedreamsoldiers]

I can see them eliminating possums & weasels but, rats? Its a tall task. They are extremely pesky & recourful creatures. Im rooting for nz

[@PalestinianSalmon]

Holy shot I knew it there’s a rat among us

[@boblammas6250]

Cat’s LOVE rats!!

[@chrisackerley1842]

Have you noticed that, where you have Leftists, you have rats? I think they must be related!

[@leftjab276]

Folks who don't like snakes take note, this is what happens when the snakes go,

[@nigelworters3667]

Nz never had snakes and hopefully never will

[@martialmack43]

The rats will not be stopped.

[@kahoot4lyfe458]

New Zealand is also declaring war on an animal?

[@lukesky6157]

Are you sure this isn't Baltimore?

[@khayyamali6421]

Use large buckets to trap the rats in 🐀

[@pattyoconnell3416]

This sounds gross but maybe the rats will be our only food source someday.hope not.

[@Avengerie]

So what they replace indigenous animals? They came because they wanted a better life. They are not to blame that they are superior.

[@soko4710]

obvious troll is obvious

[@Avengerie]

@@soko4710 what do you mean? You don't think they deserve a chance to have a better life? They run from threats of extermination only to be treated similarly in their newfound home. We just need to be more tolerant towards them. Or you want to kill hundreds of thousands of rats so that some instagram influencer can take a picture with a cute, but utterly evolutionarily inefficient creature (a bird that cannot fly?)? Is this humane? I say: "Good for them".

[@ReviewyCA]

It can be done - I live in a province that's 661,848 km2 (255,500 sq mi), not an island, and still rat free* nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-stirring-story-of-how-alberta-became-the-first-place-in-the-world-to-banish-the-rat

[@anniemitchell2436]

They know too avoid things (traps) touched by humans you must use gloves.

[@demos1198]

Unless you cover it with peanut oil, then you need no gloves.

[@Dear_Mr._Isaiah_Deringer]

Dodo may care.

[@man-who-sold-the-world]

Cats?

[@constantinvaldor3742]

If the fence is working i don't see why they have to kill the rats.

[@user-uy6uc5ey5q]

The predator free enclosures only work when extensive trapping and baiting and then incredibly expensive ground searching takes place then ongoing expensive monitoring. The place www.visitzealandia.com/About/History/A-World-First-Sanctuary where this very expensive process toook place cost several millions and many many thousands of man hours set up and its only 225 ha - you can walk round the outside in about 4 hours. The total land mass of NZ is 26.8 million hectares. Most of the other rat free areas are off shore smaller islands, but as rats are incredibly good swimmers, they can swim a few miles at one time and tread water for 3 days. When added to fact they can hide in boats very easily without people knowing it, its virtually impossible to make most of the country realistically rat free without a country wide effort.

[@ЦугундерШнеерсон]

so much for the final solution to the migration crisis.. scary controversial video

[@hospicenursingab]

The world needs rats too. I know we hate them but hey God put things here for a reason

[@Bignfluffy]

Imagine a rat being your biggest land predator😂😂😂 bruhhhhh