Episode Details

Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland successfully eradicates feral ferrets, marking a global first, thanks to the LIFE Raft project. The four million five hundred thousand pound initiative, launched in 2021, aimed to protect the islands seabird colony of over two hundred fifty thousand birds. Ferrets, introduced in the 1980s to control rabbits, multiplied and decimated seabird populations. With puffins down over seventy percent in the last twenty years, the projects success is hailed as an extraordinary win for wildlife and the community. The islanders expect a boost in eco-tourism as bird populations recover. The challenge now lies in maintaining strict biosecurity to keep ferrets away for good, while also tackling brown rats.

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