Conservation officials in New Zealand warn that the black stilt, one of the
world’s rarest wading birds, will be pushed closer to extinction following the
unauthorised introduction of the rabbit calicivirus
(This Week, 6 September, p10).
They fear that ferrets, stoats and feral cats will start eating the birds’
eggs if the rabbit, their normal prey, disappears. The government has ordered
its conservation officers on the South Island to increase trapping of ferrets
and stoats at 15 sites southeast of Mount Cook where black stilts breed.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A whole new way to prevent death from sepsis shows promise
2
Why your opinion of used electric vehicles is probably wrong
3
The monstrous number sequences that break the rules of mathematics
4
Table tennis-playing robot on track to becoming world champion
5
If a bird flu pandemic starts, we may have an mRNA vaccine ready
6
Why quantum physics says there’s a multiverse
7
Exercise advice for long covid may be doing more harm than good
8
Can we ‘vaccinate’ ourselves against stress?
9
We need more radioactive drugs. Can we make them from nuclear waste?
10
Parrot uses his broken beak to become a dominant male
