When animals thrive, it often signals a healthy ecosystem. But when the wrong kinds of animals thrive in the wrong area, it can actually signal the opposite.

Redonda is a perfect example. In 2016, the uninhabited Caribbean island looked like a big rock jutting out of the ocean. Goats and rats, brought to the island by human phosphate miners in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, had effectively destroyed the ecosystem. These invasive species consumed nearly all of the island’s plant life, making what was once a lush landscape into a barren moonscape.

A decade later, the natural ecosystem is recovering remarkably, thanks to the government of Antigua and Barbuda, in partnership with organizations such as the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG), Fauna & Flora, and Re:wild.

Relocating the goats and exterminating the rats

Dozens of goats and 6,000 black rats inhabited the island in 2016. Sadly, they had decimated the landscape to the point where they themselves were starving and resorting to cannibalism to survive. Something had to be done.

Over 50 goats were airlifted off the island and sent to Antigua, but not without enormous effort. The helicopter ride wasn’t the issue; catching the goats was. Workers tried setting up a corral with shade and water, but the goats were suspicious of it. They tried snares, traps, and even a net launcher, but no luck. Finally, after observing the goats for months, they figured out that if they could just get the kids into the........

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