Gough Island in the Atlantic Ocean is the largest habitat for Tristan albatrosses in the world. People do not live on the Island, and tourists are also restricted from entering. The place is isolated from the rest of the world, and birds evolved there with no real competitors. However, in the 19th century, sailors brought mice to the Island and settled them. The mice have grown larger and stronger than in the rest of the continents because no animals on the Island would endanger their existence. Recently, mice have begun attacking birds. Previously they only attacked little albatrosses, but now they attack adult ones too, Daily Mail reports.
Scientists are concerned about the behavior of mice. Two years ago, the UK government introduced a special program and means to kill mice on Gough Island; however, according to recent data, the mice still survived and became even more aggressive. Now they attack adult albatrosses and eat them alive.
Female-male albatrosses raise their descendants together, and if one of them dies, then the offsprings are doomed to die. The albatrosses do not know how to defend themselves when attacked. Consequently, they are completely vulnerable when it comes to mice.
Tristan albatrosses are endangered seabirds that live in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. They are already extinct on the main Island, Tristan, although they still live on the islands Gough and Inaccessible.
Tristan albatross lays eggs only once every two years, and it takes ten months to raise them. This species of bird has only one partner for a lifetime.
The albatross population has shrunk by 28% in the last 36 years on Gough Island.
