By Ruby Littler

ABC Kimberley

Topic: Conservation

Thu 2 Jul 2026 at 10:05am

Researchers went back to Browse Island to see if the drone-baiting program worked.

In short:

Australian scientists say a program to remove mice from a remote island in Western Australia is working.

The drones targeted mice that were hurting seabirds.

What's next?

Researchers said they can't say the mice are all gone until October.

Scientists used drones to stop mice from eating seabird eggs on an island.

Many mice were on Browse Island, hurting seabirds.

Browse Island is important for seabirds to breed.

A team used drones to bait mice on the island, and it seems to be working.

Bruce Greatwich checks traps on the island.

Early signs of success

Drones spread bait to kill mice on the island.

The research team used drones to bait the mice.

Scientists returned to the island to see if the baiting worked.

Island mouse removal projects usually involve people on the ground or helicopters.

The drone method is more accurate and faster.

The team is happy with the initial success.

Removing mice helps seabirds on the island.

Seabirds breed on islands, not the mainland.

All islands are important for seabirds to thrive.

Critical time for conservation

Bird flu is a concern for vulnerable species.

The H5 bird flu has hurt wildlife and farms worldwide.

Scientists camp on the island to do research.

There have been five cases of bird flu in Australia.

Birds with the flu have been found in Western Australia.

The success of the drone program shows the benefit of removing threats.

Removing mice helps seabirds deal with other threats like bird flu.

We don't know what will happen next, so we must be prepared.

The mice removal will be complete in October 2026.

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