“A rat eradication operation took place on the atoll’s Home and Cooks islets over August and September 2023. Monitoring to confirm the atoll’s rat-free status was recently completed, with trail cameras and traps showing no evidence whatsoever of rats. Arthur Neale, the atoll’s Executive Officer, says Palmerston’s rat-free status means the world to him and everyone else who lives on the atoll…‘Benefits from the rat eradication are already evident. Fruits like guava, mango and star fruit are now abundant and free from rat damage. Seedlings of tamanu and puka are increasing and we’re seeing and hearing more birds.