Chapter I Intro & Objectives - SPREP

PHOENIX ISLANDS PROTECTED AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN
Chapter III. Background, 3. Terrestrial Resources
Draft 1 March 2007
Hilder (1959) noted that when Manra (Sydney) residents left for the Solomon Islands, they
left their dogs behind. They had eaten all their pigs, and brought their cats with them to the
Solomon Islands (see also Knudsen 1965).
King (1973) reported that there were Polynesian and black rats on Manra (Sydney).
Cats and dogs had also been left on Manra (Sydney) during the evacuation (King 1973).
Most of the cats had been killed by Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program (POBSP)
between 1964 and 1968. However, it was not certain if all the cats have been killed. One
dog was observed in 1968.
King (1973) recommended that dogs and cats (when present) be removed from Orona (Hull),
Nikumaroro (Gardner), Manra (Sydney), and Enderbury.
Garnett (1983) reported that the Polynesian rat, Rattus exulans, and the black rat, Rattus
rattus, were on Manra (Sydney).
Garnett (1983) also noted that feral cats, dogs, and pigs had been recorded on Manra
(Sydney). However, the dog may have died out since only one was observed in 1968 by
Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Programme staff. Garnett (1983) noted that feral pigs were
formally abundant, but pigs have not been reported in recent years.
In 1995, the Polynesian rat was found on Manra (Government of Kiribati (1995). However,
no damage was reported to the coconut trees.
In January 2000, cat tracks were observed on Manra (Kepler 2000).
Di Piazza and Pearthree (2004) reported that there were large populations of rats, Rattus
exulans, and R. rattus, as well as feral cats on Manra.
MCKEAN
Maude (1937) reported small brown rats on McKean.
Garnett (1983) reported that the Polynesian rat, Rattus exulans, was the only mammal known
from McKean.
Throssell and Specht (1989) reported that McKean was inhabited by “fearless” rats.
In about 2001, the Korean vessel F/V Chance 301 grounded on McKean (Pierce et al 2006).
It was presumed that this vessel introduced the Asian rat to McKean. However, Pierce et al
(2006) suspect that the introduction of the Asian rat to McKean occurred earlier than 2001.
This was based on bird survey results (Bukaireiti and Rabaua 2002) that were similar to
results in Pierce et al (2006).
Pierce et al (2006) identified mammals observed on Birnie, Enderbury, McKean,
Nikumaroro, Orona, and Rawaki and compared them with previously recorded species (see
Table III-3.32 above).
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