COMMENT

Their abilities to travel, multiply and spread disease have always made rats one of mankind’s greatest pests. Now, New Zealand has said it is time to wipe them out – every last one of them.

Prime minister John Key yesterday announced an ambitious plan to completely rid the South Pacific nation of rats and some other nuisance animals, including possums and stoats, by the year 2050.

The government is hoping a rat-free countryside will give a boost to native birds, including the kiwi. Many bird species are threatened with extinction as rats and other pests feast on their eggs and compete with them for food.

New Zealand is hoping to build on its success in eradicating rats from several of its smaller islands.

However, some scientists caution that the goal, while laudable, will be extremely difficult to achieve in a nation that is similar in size to the UK.

Speaking from a wildlife sanctuary in Wellington, Mr Key said the goal would

“This is the most ambitious conservation project attempted anywhere in the world”

JOHN KEY