Black rat or Puffin??

[chunkychambers]

Is conservation bias toward the attractive and cuddly!?

On Lundy island the population of Puffins were virtually decimated because Black Rats were entering their burrows and eating the eggs.
CULL THE RATS was the cry, but Lundy is one of their last strongholds and they are a threatened species.

The problem is people love Puffins and hate rats.

What would you do?

[Bushcraft]

Originally Posted by chunkychambers

Is conservation bias toward the attractive and cuddly!?

On Lundy island the population of Puffins were virtually decimated because Black Rats were entering their burrows and eating the eggs.
CULL THE RATS was the cry, but Lundy is one of their last strongholds and they are a threatened species.

The problem is people love Puffins and hate rats.

What would you do?

I was on Lundy a couple of months ago and there were no sign of either. The Rabbits are now gone also due to mixy. The had 5 puffins this year for a short time only! infact I was amazed that I didn't see more wildlife.

Kris

[chunkychambers]

To be clear, Lundy is a stronghold of the Black Rat and is a threatened species

[Boddie]

Puffin for me every time.

Were they to have a cull I would happily volunteer. Puffins are my favourite animal. Not just bird. Animal.

[nightshade]

The Black Rat should be encouraged puffins can vote with their wings the rat cannot

[chunkychambers]

Boddie, why the Puffin though? It's the Black Rat that's threatened!

[Boddie]

Because I like Puffins and not rats

[chunkychambers]

These are the sweetest rats you could ever find.
In the rat kingdom on a scale of 1-10 they are 9.5 does this affect your view? I bet it does!!

[paulthomas]

Puffins get my vote. The rat was introduced by man and should not be there.

[Dan Salter]

Chunky you need to learn no one can EVER change boddies view isnt that right boddie?

[chunkychambers]

That's a fair point Paul, but should we allow the Black Rat to dissappear?

Hey Dan, Boddie hasn't replied yet perhaps he has changed his mind!

[Boddie]

Originally Posted by chunkychambers

These are the sweetest rats you could ever find.
In the rat kingdom on a scale of 1-10 they are 9.5 does this affect your view? I bet it does!!

I had a friend in who died from swimming in a quarry that rats had bobbed in, at least thats how I understood it as a child, so I dont much care for rats.

Whereas I have stated on here many times that Puffins are my favourite animal. The puffins are not affecting the rats yet the rats are killing the puffin population.

Seems like a no brainer.

[Dan Salter]

I need to point out im only teasing ( me and boddie have a firey relationship)

Personally i cant see the attraction with puffins and im primarily a birder!...BUT to be honest i have not seen them in real life so maybe that will all change...i wasnt that mad about penguins until i bought the "March of the penguins" dvd and now i want to go to Antartica to see them !!

[chunkychambers]

Anyway the outcome of the debate down here is a partial cull of the rat, this hopefully will allow the Puffins to recover.

My personal opinion is that because the Black Rat was introduced primarily by man (latter day smugglers) that they should be controlled to allow the Puffin to regenerate. Lundy is known as Puffin Island.

However conservation is a strange thing when an animal can be judged by its looks, or if it's disliked.

Thought provoking innit??

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by chunkychambers

That's a fair point Paul, but should we allow the Black Rat to dissappear?

From the areas where it's seriously hurting the indiginous wildlife, yes. Pity the Mink and Grey Squirrel aren't struggling too.

[Gaina]

I think the keyword should always be 'balance', not and 'either-or' situation**. Prey animals need their predators to be conserved too, or the whole thing gets thrown into disarray.

....and yes I do love rats.

** EDIT - except Mink because they were never meant to be here in the first place and are too viracious......do they actually have any predators in Britain apart from man???

[bendog]

Which species is the indigenous one? Whichever that is should, surely, be the one that is protected.

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by Gaina

** EDIT - except Mink because they were never meant to be here in the first place and are too viracious......do they actually have any predators in Britain apart from man???

Otters will kill them. I think a Buzard would be able to take one if it got the chance.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

Otters will kill them. I think a Buzard would be able to take one if it got the chance.

Hehe - if a buzzard can be a*sed! When I did my falconry course, my teacher described buzzards as birds who would 'much rather take a TV dinner than kill something themselves'.

Thanks for plugging that whole in my knowledge

[nightshade]

I agree with Gaina balance is the way,If the rats are rare then the puffins must sacrifice
until a balance is reached.If these were common Brown Rats the rats would have to go
to preserve the puffins,the puffins still have other options the Black Rats are at an impasse

[Deer Stalker]

Are the Black Rats just threatened here, where they've been introduced or on a global level?

[paulthomas]

Originally Posted by Gaina

Hehe - if a buzzard can be a*sed! When I did my falconry course, my teacher described buzzards as birds who would 'much rather take a TV dinner than kill something themselves'.

Having had the misfortune to try a TV dinner, my advice to any Buzzard would be get out there and hunt

[Bushcraft]

Originally Posted by chunkychambers

To be clear, Lundy is a stronghold of the Black Rat and is a threatened species

The guy that I spoke to when I was there (Works on the Island) told me the cull had already been carried out. I know it was a stronghold for rats, but today if what he said was right its not. I don't dislike rats but it was us that introduced them so I would side with the Puffin. As I said I was there for quite some time and I never saw a rat or the evidence of one. On the other hand there were no puffins on the "isle of Puffins" either. Sad

Best wishes
Kris

[Forestknights]

I would side with the rat. Puffins although having a difficult time are more widespread than the Black Rat.

Seems a question of chasing the tourist pound. People will pay to travel to Lundy to see puffins. Will they pay to see Black Rats??