REHABILITATION OF ISLANDS OF KERGUELEN AR CHIPELAGO BY ERADICATION OFTHE RABBIT (ORYCTOLAGUS-CUNICULUS) - METHOD APPLIED TO ILE VERTE

In order to rehabilitate degraded islands of the Kerguelen archipelago by the Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), we have started eradicating th is alien mammal by poisoning on a small island, Ile Verte. The poison used is the chlorophacinone (0.05 g/kg), an anticoagulant poison effic ient for the rabbit. The bait is corn which is treated to prevent germ ination. In late June 1992, there were about 1 270 rabbits. As the fir st days of July, 457 heaps of poisoned corn (I kg) were distributed on the whole island. During this month, 1 200 kg of corn have been used. Fifteen days after the beginning of the poisoning period 90 % of the rabbits had died and by late August 1992 the only rabbit seen was shot . No rabbits tracks were observed during the following months. Snow tr acks of two rabbits were still noticed during the winter of 1994 and t he last rabbit has been eliminated by poisoning during the winter of 1 995. The species is now eradicated from Ile Verte. Nevertheless, this method is not appropriate on large islands where other approaches must be developed.