As reported by National Geographic, Australian authorities spent approximately 12.75 million AUD on the eradication of rats on the state-owned Lord Howe (Lord Howe) Island. Estimates suggest that around 44 tonnes of rat poison were used, but... the rodents have returned.

In 2019, Lord Howe Island was declared rat-free. It now appears that environmental activists rejoiced too soon, but: did the rodents survive, or did they find a way to reach the island on their own from elsewhere (it is approximately 750-800 km to the continent)? By the way, the island is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, and it is home to many rare animals.

In April 2021, an island resident spotted a rat near the local cemetery. It happened for the first time since the events of 2019. Following the resident's report, two rats were caught. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. This year, 96 rats have already been caught on the island, which raises doubts about the effectiveness of the Rodent Eradication Program (REP) (the programme cost the aforementioned 12.75 million AUD). Before the programme started, it was estimated that about 150,000 rats and about 210,000 mice lived on the island, which is far too many for the island. It should be noted that only 400 tourists are allowed to be on the 14.55 km² island at any one time...