An excellent use of drones

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Browse Island is approximately 14-hectare (35-acre) in area and is uninhabited. It lies about180 km (110 mi) north-west of the coast of north-western Australia and about 450 kms off the coast of Broome. It is considered WA’s most remote island. The island is an important nesting site for green turtles and migratory seabirds. Unfortunately, the island is infested with introduced south-east Asian house mice. These eat the eggs and disturb breeding patterns of the many species of sea birds that try to nest there. The humid conditions and high temperatures, plus the harsh vegetation, have made baiting by hand or helicopter unviable. Now, a New Zealand company has come up with a drone which can be used for aerial baiting and allows greater precision. More than 700 kilograms of bright green pellets have been scattered across the island. A second scattering took place two weeks after the first. Researchers are hoping that the mice can be completely eradicated. How cool would that be? It’s nice that drones have beneficial uses apart from carrying warheads. The photo is mine of pelicans at ‘our’ Denmark.