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Question: What will happen to all the rats they poison on Lehua island? Will they pick up the carcasses, or will they just rot there?
Answer: The rats will be left where they die, which is likely to be in their burrows or nests, said Heath Packard, a spokesman for Island Conservation. The nonprofit group has joined with the state to eradicate rats from Lehua, a seabird sanctuary west of Kauai. The carcasses of invasive species generally aren’t removed unless they pose a threat to native species not targeted for elimination, which they don’t in this case, Packard said.
Here is his full response:
“In cases where there are risks to native, non-target animals, we develop and implement mitigation strategies like collecting and burying carcasses to avoid them from being scavenged and consumed by non-targets; or collecting native raptors and holding them in protective captivity during the operation. However, this is not part of the Lehua Restoration Plan for the following reasons: The island has no native mammals and is used primarily by seabirds that feed strictly in the marine environment. There are no Pueo (Hawaii’s native owl) or other native raptors or scavengers at risk of carcass consumption. Furthermore, many of the rats that have consumed a lethal dosage of diphacinone will return to their burrows or nests and perish. Others exposed to Lehua’s harsh and arid environment will dry up very quickly. This leaves many rodents out of reach for any other non-target species on the island.
“Finally, as a rule, we leave invasive species carcasses on the islands where we are doing eradications. This is important for the islands ecosystems because removing carcasses would remove important biomass and nutrients important for the restoration of the islands natural systems.”
Rats accidentally introduced to the island by humans decades ago devour seabirds, eggs and chicks, as well as native plants, according to the DLNR.
The eradication effort involves three applications of an anticoagulant rodenticide, in the form of bluish-green, cylindrical pellets dropped by aircraft onto the island. The first two applications were Aug. 23 and Wednesday, and the third is scheduled for around Friday, weather permitting.
According to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, 99.995 percent of the bait is nontoxic plant and cereal-based material, and the remaining fraction is diphacinone.
Monitors on the ground cited no ill effects to marine life or birds after the first two poison drops, the DLNR said. The effort won’t be considered a success unless every rat is killed. Assuming that occurs, the island eventually will be replanted with native species favored by the seabirds the sanctuary is meant to nurture.
Q: Why didn’t you tell people to get their senior pass at the National Park Service office in Honolulu? That’s where I got mine, and what I tell my friends.
A: Because the office no longer issues them; your advice is outdated, unfortunately.
Mahalo
A special mahalo to the city-county dead animal pickup crew. On Aug. 28 I saw a large white cat that was just run over on Kamehameha IV Road near a side street. It looked like it was attempting to cross Kamehameha IV when a car struck it. It was a few feet onto the road, and I was sure it would soon be driven over by cars and left flattened into an unrecognizable mess. I grabbed some newspaper and stepped out to pull it by its tail and drag it over to the side of the curb. I called the C&C people, who came and picked it up right away. Thank you to all of the C&C people who do much for us that we take for granted every day. — Liz A.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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