In the 1980s, ferrets were released on Northern Ireland’s Rathlin Island to control rabbits; decades later, they threatened seabirds at a colony of more than 250,000 birds

Ferrets introduced in the 1980s to control rabbits became a significant threat to Rathlin Island’s seabirds. Conservationists launched a five-year project to remove these invasive predators from the island. Using advanced techniques, teams worked to eradicate ferrets and brown rats from the island. Rathlin Island was declared ferret-free in March 2026 after extensive eradication efforts….