Invasive Species

A top 3 selection of invasive species from GR's comments

The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting.” So wrote Australian farmer Thomas Austin in 1859, shortly after he freed 24 grey rabbits to, well, do what rabbits do best. By the end of the century the rabbit population had exploded to the point where Australia’s native plants, animals, even the soil itself were on the brink of collapse
By 1950 the population was an estimated 600 million .

You’d think Australia would have learned a thing or two about introducing non-native species from the rabbit fiasco but noooo… at around the time myxomatosis virii were being tested as a way to control the rampant rabbits, cane toads were being freed into the sugar cane plantations of Queensland to control insect pests. By mid-1937 over 60,000 young toads had been released to eat insects – which they didn’t, because the sugar cane fields didn’t provide enough protection for the toads. Not that they needed it; cane toads excrete a potent toxin from their skin that usually kills any other creature that is ignorant enough to attack and eat them. Predators in the Americas (including southern Texas) have adapted to deal with the toads, those in Australia have not.

It would be wrong to underestimate cute, fluffy Eastern Grey Squirrels, isn’t that right, Australians? In this case the location is Great Britain and the victims are the smaller, cuter, native Red Squirrels who find they can’t compete with their larger, more aggressive North American cousins. The greys also carry a deadly virus that only affects the native reds. Various “save the squirrels” movements have sprung up in England and none other than HRH Prince Charles has come out vocally for the eradication of the pesky greys by any and all means.

Just thought I'd put those three examples up.

I think along with poaching, habitat loss is the biggest major factor to wildlife species loss all over thw worls, including the UK

WS

  WS. It isn't only wildlife. We now have invasive plants that are taking over too.

Japanese knotweed, Himalyan balsam, American skunk cabbage, and Gunnera ................ 2 of which we seem to have here!!!! Trying to get rid of it is impossible  

Lai

I was going to put those on Lai. That Japanese knotweed is     You need specialists to get rid of it, it's nearly impossible to kill, just the slightest trace left, and its back. It can bring down buildings.

WS

  we are plagued with Himalyan Balsam and I've just been told we should be dealing with it, give me a break, what do they think we are doing?

I didn't know Japanese knotweed could bring down buildings, that really is horrific  

Lai

Just one story Lai  
Couple are forced to demolish their £300k four-bed home after it was invaded by Japanese knotweed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2052337/Hertfordshire-couple-demolish-300k-home-rid-Japanese-knotweed.html

WS

  That's totally unreal, like something out of alien, hard to believe it could get just so bad.

Thanks for that WS.

Lai