180 million rats on Galapagos island to be poisoned

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Galapagos National Park via APGalapagos National Park staff on Monday test equipment that will hold poisonous bait to kill rats.By Gonzalo Solano, Associated PressQUITO, Ecuador -- The unique bird and reptile species that make the Galapagos Islands a treasure  for scientists and tourists must be preserved, Ecuadorean authorities say — and  that means the rats must die, starting with 180 million of them.  

A helicopter  on Thursday began dropping specially designed poison bait on an  island Thursday, launching the second phase of a campaign to clear out by 2020  non-native rodents from the archipelago that helped inspire Charles Darwin's  theory of evolution.

The invasive Norway and black rats, introduced by  whalers and buccaneers beginning in the 17th century, feed on the eggs and  hatchlings of the islands' native species, which include giant tortoises, lava  lizards, snakes, hawks and iguanas. Rats also have depleted plants on which  native species feed.

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