Puerto Rico introduced small Indian mongooses to control rats in sugarcane fields; today, they are the island’s main wildlife reservoir for rabies

Originally introduced to control sugarcane rat numbers, Indian mongooses flopped in their role and turned into an invasive threat in Puerto Rico. Their presence has aggravated the rabies problem, making them the leading carriers of the virus, which poses a critical risk to both humans and native fauna. Scientists are currently diving deep into the behavior of these mongooses and their role in disease spread.
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