Ma’ia’i, L. (2020, April 18). Boom time for New Zealand’s rats as lockdown gives them free rein in cities. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/18/boom-time-for-new-zealands-rats-as-lockdown-gives-them-free-rein-in-cities-aoe

As a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, New Zealand has been finding it difficult to manage the plethora of rats that have suddenly emerged. The vermin population grew significantly in 2019 as a result of a successful production of seeds, but when pest control halted because of the lockdown, rats are facing virtually no threat as they seemingly “colonize” urban spaces. While this is naturally a public health concern, it’s also an environmental threat– this invasive species has significantly harmed the Kiwi population due to their flightless and thus extremely vulnerable nature. Shockingly enough, the most effective management of vermin during lockdown has been private trapping, which many residents have made into a competition of sorts.

This article capitalizes on the pros and cons of the lockdown from a strictly environmental standpoint. On the surface, it’s easy to see the sudden halt in car emissions, factory pollutants, and carbon emissions to name a few as a great thing for the environment. However, this example exhibits how this stagnancy is reflected in the management of invasive species, in turn significantly hurting more vulnerable native species. On the bright side, it’s good to see citizens coming together to try and fight the vermin by making the situation into a competition of “who can catch the biggest rat?” or “who can catch the most?”. While this likely stems from a public-health perspective, these measures are nonetheless important when it comes to uniting as a community to help protect native species that are at risk.