Friday 28 August 2020

Another American Fence

It is well established that 2/3rds of the Hawaiian Island's endemic (unique to the location) bird species have been driven to extinction since the arrival of humans. This avian apocalypse has been partly a consequence of humans hunting these animals for food or decoration (like the red cloaks worn by Polynesian 'kings') . A major factor, however, have animals introduced accidentally (like rats) or deliberately (e.g. the Indian mongoose, pigs and birds from a variety of continents). There is now news of the creation of a 2M tall, 624M 'predator proof' fence erected around the Kilauea Point Reserve on the Island of Kauai (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/28/hawaii-native-birds-fence-kauai). It might help a bit but I don't think it will keep out the rats, as they are excellent climbers (that's how they got onto ships in the first place). Birds can also fly into and out of the protected area. 

 

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