Sable Island.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 1 August 1891, Page 3

Sable Island.

Off the Knst coa4 ol Nova Scotia, distant about ninety miles, lies the island of Sable, the home of simply a life-saving staff. On this island the rabbit pest has developed 60 alarming y a3 to lead to most extraordinary retaliations being made, and we almost fear to relate the faot in case one of our legislative cranks may suggest a similar course being adopted in this Colony. They have done as bad before now. However we risk it. The Fall Mall Gazette says :_A. new uge for foxes has Leea found in Bab-e Island, which has exemplified in its time several curious vicissitudes of animal population. The Island—which ia not the mere Waste of sand it looks- to Atlantio mariners, as the interior is a verdant Valley :with a lake eight miles long — ig'aa overstocked/ with Babbits as N&w Zealand itself. These animals wdre introduced at the beginning of the century for the benefit of the Hfe-savmg staff which constitutes the whole population of that wreck* strewn island. Once the rabbits were exterminated by cast-away rats and again by a flock of Arctic owls. A third time the rabbits, were 'intro* dqoed. and now have so increased than there will be no 1 gras* lefyfor th« oattle and ponies unless something is done. It has n>w beendeofded to import a number of -foies, with the hope that they wiTkeep down or kill off the rabbits without themselves beooming a.nuiaance. ,