Palmerston atoll has officially been declared rat free following a tremendous eradication effort by the local community, with support from agencies in Rarotonga and New Zealand. A rat eradication operation took place on the atoll’s Home and Cooks islets over August and September 2023.
Monitoring to confirm the atoll’s rat-free status was recently completed, with trail cameras and traps showing no evidence whatsoever of rats, a statement from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation said.Arthur Neale, the atoll’s executive officer, says Palmerston’s rat-free status means the world to him and everyone else who lives on the atoll.
“Rats infested the atoll for over a century. They ate our crops, invaded our homes and harmed local wildlife. We saw the rat problem becoming worse, with the potential to seriously undermine our resilience in the face of climate change impacts,” Neale said.
“Benefits from the rat eradication are already evident. Our food security has improved massively. Fruits like guava, mango and star fruit are now abundant and free from rat damage. Our nu mangaro (a coconut tree variety) are thriving. Vegetables, especially cucumbers, have seen an astonishing increase in yield.
