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PREDATOR CONTROL PROGRAMS
In the late 1800s, California introduced red foxes for hunting and fur farms; at Seal Beach, they drove light-footed Ridgway's rails down to just 5 pairs in 7 yearsIn the late 1800s, non-native red foxes wreaked havoc on the population of Ridgway's rails, bringing them perilously close to extinction. F...
In 1990s, Samoa released a predatory flatworm as a weapon against giant African land snails. 49 years later, the predator has outlived its original target-control mission and threatens native snails insteadThe introduction of the predatory flatworm, Platydemus manokwari, to Samoa aimed to tackle the invasive giant African snails. However, this...
A Massachusetts turtle vanished for 10 years after its 2011 release, then returned as an adult to the same wild habitat; 15 years later, two of its captive-raised offspring were released there to continue the storyA Blanding’s turtle vanished into the wild for more than a decade. Ivy was released in Massachusetts in 2011 after being raised at Stone Zo...
In 1960, Japan’s future emperor took 18 bluegills home from Chicago. Their descendants multiplied into millions and invaded Lake BiwaA significant ecological problem arose from a 1960 gift of bluegills to Japan's Crown Prince Akihito. These fish propagated swiftly, infilt...
In 1904, Newfoundland released just 4 moose onto the island after an earlier introduction. 122 years later, their descendants number about 110,000 and have become powerful drivers of change across the island's forestsMoose impact on Newfoundland forests: Newfoundland introduced four moose in 1904, which now number around 110,000. These animals significan...
In 1955, Hawaiʻi released a predatory snail to control giant African snails; it climbed into native forests and helped wipe out rare tree snailsIn Hawaii, the introduction of the rosy wolfsnail was intended to combat a pest, but it drastically backfired. Instead of targeting its int...
America's only pesticide-free rice farm? 250,000 bats replace pesticides at this California rice farm every single nightBats protect rice farm: Every night, approximately 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats take flight from the Yolo Causeway bridge, playing a cr...
Florida Python Challenge 2026 winners to be announced this week: Why hundreds compete to hunt invasive snakes for a $10,000 prizeThe Florida Python Challenge invites enthusiasts to actively combat the invasive Burmese python population. Each year, exciting cash prizes...
In 1922, California introduced mosquitofish to eat mosquito larvae; within four years, they were in 30 counties and were later linked to native-species declinesIn 1922, California introduced mosquitofish in hopes of controlling mosquito populations. Although they were initially viewed as a solution...
In 2001, a USDA scientist released beetles to destroy an invasive tree, but they eliminated 94% of an endangered bird's habitat along one riverAn invasive beetle introduced to control tamarisk trees has devastated flycatcher nesting grounds. This beetle, released by the USDA, succe...
In 1934, a New York socialite bought the Pennsylvania mountain where hunters shot hundreds of hawks; the killing stopped almost overnightRosalie Edge established Hawk Mountain Sanctuary after seeing a photograph of dead hawks. This sanctuary holds the world's oldest continuou...
British settlers brought domestic cats to Australia in 1788 to control rats and mice around ships, farms, and settlements, but escaped cats now kill billions of native animals every year across the continentIntroduced by British settlers in 1788, cats rapidly spread across Australia, becoming a devastating invasive predator. Intended to control...
Australia, in the late 1800s, introduced foxes for a hunting hobby, and scientists are still tracking the damage more than a century laterIntroduced for sport in the 1800s, European red foxes have become a devastating ecological crisis in Australia. These adaptable predators r...
Found kittens outside? Why are US shelters turning cats away this summer, and what should you do before bringing a litter in?Animal shelters in parts of the United States are facing one of their busiest times of the year as kitten season pushes cat intakes beyond ...
In the 1990s, escaped pet Burmese pythons established themselves in Florida's Everglades; by 2012, road surveys found raccoons down 99.3%, opossums 98.9%, and rabbits effectively goneGiant Burmese pythons, introduced to Florida's Everglades as pets, have caused a dramatic wildlife collapse. Road surveys reveal staggering...
Scientists found a desert-adapted pest-fighting mite that could help protect crops across the world's driest regionsChilean researchers have stumbled upon a population of the beneficial predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis, thriving in the extremely ar...
18 koalas moved to Kangaroo Island in the 1920s; a century on, 27,000 descendants are stripping eucalyptus bare and risk mass starvationKoalas are overpopulating in South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges. This boom threatens eucalyptus forests, their food source. Scientists pr...
In 1979, Japan released 30 mongooses onto Amami Oshima to kill venomous snakes, and it took 45 years to fix what happened nextJapan's ambitious plan to control venomous snakes on Amami Ōshima with Indian mongooses in 1979 backfired spectacularly. The introduced pre...
Swimming deep inside the Great Lakes with 150 teeth, a serrated tongue, and a ruthless hunger, this ‘vampire’ could destroy the entire ecosystemCanadian and US agencies are collaborating to combat the invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes, aiming to protect the $5.1-billion fisher...
In midway deal, India seeks high end technology information for UAV sans armsOfficials said that significant talks were made during visit on possibility of manufacturing a US-origin fighter jet in India to meet requi...