But what if the island flips over ? by AURaptor

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

But what if the island flips over ?

POSTED BY: AURAPTOR
UPDATED: Monday, February 25, 2013 13:33
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Friday, February 22, 2013 1:19 PM

America loves a winner!

US gov't to air-drop toxic mice on Guam snakes

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AP) -- Dead mice laced with painkillers are about to rain down on Guam's jungle canopy. They are scientists' prescription for a headache that has caused the tiny U.S. territory misery for more than 60 years: the brown tree snake.

Most of Guam's native bird species are extinct because of the snake, which reached the island's thick jungles by hitching rides from the South Pacific on U.S. military ships shortly after World War II. There may be 2 million of the reptiles on Guam now, decimating wildlife, biting residents and even knocking out electricity by slithering onto power lines.

More than 3,000 miles away, environmental officials in Hawaii have long feared a similar invasion — which in their case likely would be a "snakes on a plane" scenario. That would cost the state many vulnerable species and billions of dollars, but the risk will fall if Guam's air-drop strategy succeeds.

"We are taking this to a new phase," said Daniel Vice, assistant state director of U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services in Hawaii, Guam, and the Pacific Islands. "There really is no other place in the world with a snake problem like Guam."

Brown tree snakes are generally a few feet (1 meter) long but can grow to be more than 10 feet (3 meters) in length. Most of Guam's native birds were defenseless against the nocturnal, tree-based predators, and within a few decades of the reptile's arrival, nearly all of them were wiped out.

The snakes can also climb power poles and wires, causing blackouts, or slither into homes and bite people, including babies; they use venom on their prey but it is not lethal to humans.

http://www.philstar.com/world/2013/02/23/912246/us-govt-air-drop-toxic
-mice-guam-snakes

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Saturday, February 23, 2013 1:36 AM

AGENTROUKA

Fingers crossed that it works. And that their flotation devices are biodegradable.

...the image of poison-laced dead neonatal mice being hand-dropped from helicopters is unbearably hilarious.

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Monday, February 25, 2013 6:09 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

Quote:
Originally posted by AgentRouka:

...the image of poison-laced dead neonatal mice being hand-dropped from helicopters is unbearably hilarious.

If this works, look for the govt to invest in an automated toxic rodent deployment system. Should be operational in about 15-20 years.

Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen

Resident USA Freedom Fundie

" AU, that was great, LOL!! " - Chrisisall

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Monday, February 25, 2013 8:18 AM

JONGSSTRAW

Kinda gives a whole new meaning to John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'.

Also, why were Russian Migs buzzing around over Guam last month? It's always something with that damn Guam! First the Japs invade it, then a fierce battle with the Marines, and now all this.

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Monday, February 25, 2013 1:33 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Hope it works and doesn't cause even more problems, though its hard to imagine how anything could be worse at this point.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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