In the twelve months following the removal of rats and feral goats from Redonda Island off the coast of Antigua and Barbuda many of the native species have seen huge recoveries in numbers.
The endemic Redonda ground dragon has doubled and the Redonda tree lizard tripled in numbers, hundreds of new trees have sprung up, land birds have increased tenfold and the globally important seabird colonies, that include magnificent frigatebirds and several booby species, are having their best breeding year on record.
The behaviour of some species has changed as well - the Redonda ground dragon has become fearless and fierce now that the rats have gone, being observed chasing and eating adult tree lizards.
A recent nationwide survey has found that 96% of Antiguans and Barbudans agree that the island should be protected, with preparations for the designation of Redonda and its surrounding seas as a reserve now underway.
A full article about this conservation success story is included below:
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-environmental-brighter-future-redonda-fantastic.html
The endemic Redonda ground dragon has doubled and the Redonda tree lizard tripled in numbers, hundreds of new trees have sprung up, land birds have increased tenfold and the globally important seabird colonies, that include magnificent frigatebirds and several booby species, are having their best breeding year on record.
The behaviour of some species has changed as well - the Redonda ground dragon has become fearless and fierce now that the rats have gone, being observed chasing and eating adult tree lizards.
A recent nationwide survey has found that 96% of Antiguans and Barbudans agree that the island should be protected, with preparations for the designation of Redonda and its surrounding seas as a reserve now underway.
A full article about this conservation success story is included below:
https://phys.org/news/2018-07-environmental-brighter-future-redonda-fantastic.html
