View From d'Isle

 
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Bad Science in Paradise
by Jean d'Isle

ot so many years ago, large plantation owners in Hawaii attempted to resolve a growing health and economic threat in the islands. The rat population was running rampant, destroying property and spreading pestilence in its wake. Details of the decision process are fuzzy now, but "someone" put forth an idea that resulted in the importation and release of the mongoose into the wilds of the islands.

The mongoose is a vicious, carnivorous, weasel-like predator perhaps best known for its ability to outmaneuver and destroy venomous snakes. Promoted as a "natural enemy" of the rat, the mongoose would surely be able to succeed where traps and poisons had failed.

This "natural" approach to eliminating pests is called biological control and has been very effective over the years, particularly when dealing with harmful crop infestations. Advantages over spraying potentially harmful pesticides are obvious.

But back to the mongoose and the rat, a parable illustrating what can go awry when you don't do your homework. Had proper research on the two critters in question been done, or had the right questions been asked of the right people, it would have been revealed that the rat operates at night (nocturnally) and the mongoose does his thing during the day (diurnally). Thus, when the rats are destroying property and spreading pestilence, the mongoose is tucked away in his burrow. And when the mongoose is up and prowling about, the rat is catching his Z's. They coexist quite comfortably, forming social clubs and line dancing on Friday nights.

The mongoose gambit not only failed to diminish the rat population, it produced an active and robust mongoose population. One cannot drive the island roads during the day without encountering the mongoose, darting across in front of the car, or decorating the asphalt (they handle snakes well, but tend to come out second best with cars).

Ironically, the same bad science was applied in Puerto Rico, where the mongoose was introduced to control their rat population, and both populations are flourishing, the major difference being that the Puertorican mongoose tends to have rabies; and on Friday nights these rats and mongooses favor the Macarena.

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Jean d'Isle is a retired naval officer living in Hawaii. During his military career he served in a number of overseas assignments, including Germany, England, Spain, Viet Nam and Puerto Rico. Following his retirement, he was an adjunct faculty member of Hawaii Pacific University and is currently under contract with the U.S. Navy at the submarine base in Pearl Harbor.

Jean's column, View From d'Isle, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.