“The endangered Palau ground dove is showing signs of recovery on Ulong Island in the Pacific following a successful rat eradication,” reports The Doomslayer.
Island Conservation reports:
Seabirds, the endangered Palau Ground Dove, and other native species have significantly increased in number thanks to a successful restoration campaign on Ulong Island, Republic of Palau in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Island Conservation and the State Rangers worked together in 2023-2024 to remove introduced, damaging invasive rats which devoured native bird eggs and young, decimated native plant populations through seed predation, preyed on native crabs, and disrupted food webs—ultimately threatening ecosystem collapse.
Now, after one full year of rigorous monitoring—including trail cameras, eDNA sampling, and field surveys—the partners confirmed no invasive rodents remain on the island. This success marks a monumental step forward for conservation in Palau, the Micronesia region, and across the Pacific.
With the pressure of invasive species removed, signs of recovery in this unique ecosystem are already emerging. Island Conservation’s monitoring team noticed a higher incidence of Ground Doves, including sightings of chicks at landing sites where they were never previously recorded.
Puffins have returned to the Isle of Muck after a successful rat eradication campaign.
“Seabirds, crabs, geckos, and native flora are flourishing on Bikar Atoll and Jemo Islet—two small islands in the Marshalls—after conservationists successfully eradicated invasive rats,” reported The Doomslayer.
22 seabird species have returned to Mexico’s Pacific Islands, mainly due to efforts to remove invasive species that killed them or destroyed their habitat.
