In a monumental stride in conservation for the Cook Islands, Takutea Island is on its path to becoming rat-free. This significant initiative, led by the Te Ipukarea Society, Takutea Trust, , supported by the PRISMSS Predator Free Pacific Technical Leads, Island Conservation and BirdLife International and by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) based, Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) programme, represents a collaborative commitment to protecting the island’s unique ecosystem, restoring a habitat crucial for native wildlife and local communities alike.
The project is also supported by the Cook Islands Voyaging Society, with funding supported through the Restoring Island Resilience (RIR) Project, funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme.
Introduced invasive rats have for many years posed a persistent threat to Takutea’s biodiversity, preying on bird eggs, causing destruction to vegetation, disrupting the natural flow of nutrients from land to sea, and weakening its resilience to climate impacts.
