sealers brought rabbits to macquarie island (one of the sub-antarctic islands) in 1878 to provide them with fresh meat .
the sealers eventually left - but the rabbits stayed and took over .
so they tried to kill off the rabbits and brought cats in to help get rid of the cats .
the cats also ate the seabirds - so they got rid of the cats .
now the rabbits have taken over again and are eating the last piece of greenery on the island ... ... and they are trying to get rid of the rabbits again ... ...
anyone want to guess who is going to win this battle eventually ?
perhaps someone should consider setting up a rabbit breeding business - rabbits are mighty fine eating - there should be a good market for them in europe .
hbg
a german rabbit breeder with a "super rabbit"
Quote:The removal of cats in 2000 caused "catastrophic" damage to the ecology of a sub-Antarctic island, a study says.
Since cats were removed from Macquarie Island, rabbit numbers have soared, and the animals are now devastating plants.
Cats previously kept a check on rabbits but were eradicated because they were also eating seabirds, scientists relate in the Journal of Applied Ecology.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7824153.stm
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