Helicopter rodenticide drop targets mouse invasion threatening Farallon Islands seabirds

The Farallon Islands off San Francisco are facing a severe house mouse infestation, with densities reaching 1,270 mice per hectare. The mice, believed to have arrived via ships, are disrupting the island's fragile ecosystem. Burrowing owls are drawn to the abundant rodent population, but then turn to preying on the endangered Ashy storm-petrels when mice become scarce. Conservation authorities have launched an eradication campaign that involves aerial distribution of rodenticide bait via helicopters. The initiative aims to eliminate the invasive mice and restore the natural ecological balance of the protected island chain.