Britain in 2011 launched a mission to poison every rat on South Georgia Island after invasive rodents devastated seabird colonies; by 2018, native birds were nesting in places they had abandoned for centuries

South Georgia Island is a remote, wind-swept place known for its seabird colonies. Instead, for more than two centuries, a silent and devastating nightmare stalked the misty shores and hidden valleys of South Georgia Island. In 2011, Britain launched an ambitious mission to eradicate rats on this isolated sub-Antarctic outpost. These invasive rodents severely damaged native seabird colonies over generations, threatening several species by eating chicks and eggs from their nests.

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