Story perspectives

Rathlin Island Eradicates Ferrets, Boosts Seabird Recovery

3/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

Rathlin Island, off County Antrim, has eradicated ferrets, a non-native predator that threatened its seabird population.
The five-year, £4.5m Life Raft project involved over 400 traps and a specially-trained detection dog named Woody.
Since October 2023, no ferrets have been spotted, which boosts optimism for seabird recovery.
The project benefits the community by enabling chicken keeping and using Woody as a biosecurity dog to prevent ferrets and rats.

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Story summary

Rathlin Island, off County Antrim, has eradicated ferrets, a non-native predator that threatened its seabird population.
The five-year, £4.5m Life Raft project involved over 400 traps and a specially-trained detection dog named Woody.
Since October 2023, no ferrets have been spotted, which boosts optimism for seabird recovery.
The project benefits the community by enabling chicken keeping and using Woody as a biosecurity dog to prevent ferrets and rats.