Rat eradication

The rat eradication program began in earnest in November with the arrival of an international team of experts. Rdum tal-Madonna is a particularly challenging site in which to undertake rat eradication because it is a peninsular and not an island so new rats are constantly moving in.

After an intensive effort, all of the rats were eradicated from the project site. A cordon of bait stations has been set up around the site to prevent new rats from accessing the site, with a secondary cordon around the cliffs.

Initial signs are very promising with no rats detected near the shearwater burrows for the first time in years and an increase in chick survival and fledging noted already. To see the rat eradication report, click here.