{
  "id": 15355648,
  "title": "In 2000, cats were eradicated from Macquarie Island; after rabbits and rodents were removed by 2014, blue petrels grew by an estimated 14% a year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/in-2000-cats-were-eradicated-from-macquarie-island-after-rabbits-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T05:09:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times - World News",
    "slug": "hindustan-times-world-news",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/in-2000-cats-were-eradicated-from-macquarie-island-after-rabbits-and-rodents-were-removed-by-2014-blue-petrels-grew-by-an-estimated-14-a-year-101792226604980.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2000, Macquarie Island, a remote Australian territory between Tasmania and Antarctica, saw the eradication of cats, followed by the removal of rabbits and rodents by 2014. This led to a significant increase in the population of blue petrels, estimated at 14% per year, according to a 2024 study published in Conservation Biology. In 2018, researchers recorded an estimated 5,588 breeding pairs of blue petrels, up from 500 to 600 pairs in 1999. However, the study also revealed that rapid population growth does not always mean a species has fully recovered its original range. While blue petrels and gray petrels re-established themselves after cat eradication, other species like Antarctic prions and white-headed petrels grew at slower rates. The researchers emphasized that conservation success should be measured by the return of a species, the expansion of its range, and the restoration of its habitat, rather than just population growth.",
  "summary": "Blue petrels increased about 14% annually after cat eradication on Macquarie Island, while a later pest removal program helped restore damaged habitats.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}