US gov't to air-drop toxic mice on Guam snakes

[KamaAina]

Not just any mice. Toxic mice!

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-world/20130222/AS.Guam.Operation.Mice.Drop/

Dead mice laced with painkillers are about to rain down on Guam's jungle canopy. They are scientists' prescription for a headache that has caused the tiny U.S. territory misery for more than 60 years: the brown tree snake.

Most of Guam's native bird species are extinct because of the snake, which reached the island's thick jungles by hitching rides from the South Pacific on U.S. military ships shortly after World War II. There may be 2 million of the reptiles on Guam now, decimating wildlife, biting residents and even knocking out electricity by slithering onto power lines.

More than 3,000 miles away, environmental officials in Hawaii have long feared a similar invasion — which in their case likely would be a "snakes on a plane" scenario. That would cost the state many vulnerable species and billions of dollars, but the risk will fall if Guam's air-drop strategy succeeds.

"I am so tired of these m----rf--kin' snakes on this m----rf--kin' island!"

[bobclark86]

1. Good...

this should take of the feral cats as well, as there are few native predators of mice.

[KamaAina]

2. What do you have against feral cats?

To keep the mice bait from dropping all the way to the ground, where it could be eaten by other animals or attract insects as they rot, researchers have developed a flotation device with streamers designed to catch in the branches of the forest foliage, where the snakes live and feed.

Experts say the impact on other species will be minimal, particularly since the snakes have themselves wiped out the birds that might have been most at risk.

[bobclark86]

3. Feral cats are an invasive species...

and do even more harm than feral dogs and near as much as feral pigs. I'm an environmentalist. Invasive species which wreak havoc on the ecosystem are, well, bad. Same reason I support the wanton destruction of feral pigs and other such species.

BTW, there's a difference between letting Fluffy outside once and a while and colonies of feral cats. One obviously does more damage than the other.

Not that humans as a whole are much better, but I'll bet most people would get angry if I were to recommend wiping them out as an invasive species. Just a hunch .

[KamaAina]

4. But in Guam's case, the snakes have already taken care of the birds

so how much damage can the cats do?

[bobclark86]

5. Recovery.

Unless recovery is being planned, why bother with the snakes, even?