Newz Infestation

[Carmel Useted]

Thegovernment says the mice are the only mammalian pest species on the remote islands and that were "likely accidentally introduced in 1893 from a ship wreck or one of the many [seal hunting] gangs."

To reverse the infestation, in 2014 Wellington launched the "Million Dollar Mouse" project to raise funds to rid the islands of mice. The New Zealand public kicked in $250,000, WWF NZ provided another $100,000, and the Morgan Foundation matched donations dollar for dollar. The rest of the funding came from New Zealand's Department of Conservation, the Herald said.

The newspaper writes: "The five-year project involved preparations and hut repairs, a helicopter bait-drop in June 2016, and post-eradication monitoring by just-returned teams that searched the island for a month and found no sign of mice."

"The subantarctic islands are remote, but the role they play in global conservation as the home for so many unique species can't be overstated," Department of Conservation project manager Stephen Horn said.

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