Brown tree snakes, believed to have been made inadvertently to Guam around the end of World War II aboard military ships of the United States, have become major pests blamed for sweeping away the native bird populations on the island.
Wildlife officials have worried for years that the snakes, which have no natural predators on Guam, may one day reach other Pacific Islands, particularly Hawaii, nearly 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to the East, raising further environmental destruction.
"Guam is a very unique situation, said William Pitt, a wildlife biologist for the United States Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center in Hawaii."There is no other place in the world that has a snake problem like Guam. "
The project is set to begin in March or April with dead mice babies being dropped by helicopter over jungle areas where snakes are most concentrated.
The initial target will be near Andersen Air Force Base, which is surrounded by thick vegetation and is seen as a potential starting point for snakes that might end up as stowaways on board departing aircraft.
Stuffed in his mouth to each newborn mouse is acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other pain-relief drugs over-the-counter, that is toxic to snakes "and not a lot of other animals," said Pitt.
In an attempt to keep the rats exits off the ground, every small rodent will be attached to a Ribbon wire between pieces of cardboard designed to fall into a loop and catch the canopy of trees, he said.
The goal of the air assault, which will eventually be involving the Elimination of some 2,000 mice throughout, is not to eradicate but to limit and control the population of brown tree snake on the island, Pitt said.
(Reporting by Kevin Gray; Written by Steve Gorman; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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