RATS IN MILLIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1923, Page 1

RATS IN MILLIONS.

FLIGHT OF LORD HOWE ISLAND. SYDNEY, June 7. 1 For some years nuw the beautiful I island of Lord Howe, one of the bright- • e,t gems of the Pacific, situated within 1 a tew days’ sail of Sydney, has been in • the grip of n terrible plague of rats. It is supposed that the creatures were : originally introduced on to the island from the wreck of an island steamer, and ever since they have made the most disastrous inroads into the natural resources „f the prosperous little community, attacking with especial ferocity and destructiveness the palms and their seeds for whieh, the island is world-famous, and whieh form its most lucrative export. .Scientists have visited the island from Sydney and have made recommendations for the suppression of the vats, but apparently these have been ineffective, ns recent visitors describe the plight of the Islanders ns more terrible titan ever—in fact the position has resolved itself into a desperate struggle for existence between man and rat. An officer of the steamer Makambo. the only vessel that calls at the island, relales that the rats come out of the hush at night in droves and eat everything before them, and breed at an alarming rate and there must now he millions of them, he says. Mr Charles Harford, of Sydney, who recently returned from a trip to the island says that the nils are destroying not only the seeds and the palms on the islands, but cereals as well. Pumpkins, melons, and fruit have xuflerod heavily. When an appeal was made to the Commonwealth a few months ago it was decided to send down three Australian eagle hawks in the hope that they would prey upon the rats. Mr Harford says, however, that the birds were three old owls. They were ah-silmciv useless. and did nothing but -it on (he side of the roadway and Irightmi • i.he children. ■ Air Harford advocates the use of cats in get i;ng rill of l lie pests. 'Hie rats, lie says, make their homes In the i foliage, where only cats could reach i them.

Mothers, ij L reported, live in eonLnued dread of attacks by the ratupon their infants in the night-time, ami all snips of precautions have to ho taken to protect them. Domestic supnlies have to lie kept in rat-proof boxes, otherwise tliev disappear ill a nighi. and the pndilie bird life which once added to the charm of the island has almost disappeared, owing io the attacks upon the nests.