‪#‎Happyho‬ Happy End To The Unhappy Rat Race.

Unlike laboratory mice which have a use in testing new medication, rats are considered pests for bringing destruction and diseases. One country, New Zealand, aims to be rat-free by 2050. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced on Monday a plan to completely eradicate rats from the county. By killing all rats in the country, the PM hopes it would boost native birds, such as the kiwi which are now threatened with extinction due to rats and other pests that dine on their eggs. Key allocated NZ$28 million (A$26.25 million) spread over four years for the programme. He says for the programme to succeed, everyone’s cooperation – from philanthropists to indigenous Maori tribes – is needed. The government would tap the expertise of the Department of Conservation which has successfully eradicated rat from some small islands in New Zealand using baits, traps and poisons. On the main islands, the department has managed some areas to make it safer for native birds.