Back To The Future

Native flowers will grow back once the rats and goats have gone

Restoring tha natural
landscape of Antigua's
offshore islands will
take time

One of the main aims of the project is to reverse the damage done by humans and restore Antigua's offshore islands wildlife. The black rat is not the only species that doesn't belong there (see Alien Invasion). Removing all these invasive species will help the native wildlife to live safely and allow visitors to enjoy the islands' natural beauty once again. This is known as ecological restoration.

It would be great to wave a magic wand at each of Antigua's islands and transform it into the kind of wildlife paradise that existed before humans arrived with rats, mongooses, goats and big hotels. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to turn back time. Ecological restoration is a long, hard job and needs careful planning.

Since 1995 the project has successfully and permanently removed rats and mongooses from ten offshore islands around Antigua, starting with the places that look like suitable homes for the Antiguan racer (see Eggs In Other Baskets). Clearing an island is just the beginning. It has to be checked regularly to make sure that the invaders don't come back.

Removing rats and mongooses makes the islands cleaner and safer for people, preventing the spread of disease. But that is just a bonus. Restoring the islands is mainly for the benefit of Antigua's wonderful native species. Has this work really made a difference to them?

See for yourself by reading So Far So Good.


	Rat trap - poisoning is the only way to remove some invaders