Revisiting Antipodes Island

Published on

February 19, 2018

Written by

Island Conservation

Photo credit

Island Conservation

After 18 long months, the wait is finally over. A team is heading back to Antipodes Island to discover the outcome of the Million Dollar Mouse project.

Million Dollar Mouse is one of the largest-ever attempts to eradicate mice anywhere in the world. Mice can be voracious predators, and with Antipodes Island being internationally recognised as a World Heritage site for outstanding natural values – including being home to unique and vulnerable birds, insects and plant species – the resident mice estimated at 200,000 needed to go.

island-conservation-preventing-extinctions-invasive-species-wandering-albatross-antipodes-island
Antipodean Wandering Albatross, Antipodes Island. Credit: Jason Zito/Island Conservation

The Department of Conservation(DOC) worked with funding partners the Morgan Foundation, WWF-New Zealand, Island Conservation, and the public to implement a restoration project in winter 2016. Now, 18 months and almost two mice breeding seasons later, DOC is returning to determine whether the project was successful.  As with any eradication, success cannot be guaranteed.

Our monitoring team will spend three weeks scouring the island for signs of mice and with three conservation dogs recruited to the task, we’re sure it’ll be a very thorough search indeed.

The New Zealand Defence Force is helping out with Operation Endurance by transporting the 10-strong monitoring team down to Antipodes Island.

Featured photo: Juvenile Antipodean Wandering Albatross. Credit: Jason Zito/Island Conservation
Originally printed by Million Dollar Mouse

Back Next

Want to learn more?

Check out other journal entries we think you might be interested in.

December 4, 2024

The Ebiil Society: Champions of Palau

Ann Singeo, founder of our partner organization the Ebiil Society, shares her vision for a thriving Palau and a flourishing world of indigenous science!

September 10, 2024

What is Climate Week?

Climate Week NYC: what is it and why is it important? Read on to find out why Island Conservation is attending this amazing event!

November 28, 2023

Rare Joins the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge

Rare will support the effort to restore island-ocean ecosystems by engaging the Coastal 500 network of local leaders in safeguarding biodiversity (Arlington, VA, USA) Today, international conservation organization Rare announced it has joined the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), a global effort to…