In 1883, Hawaii introduced mongooses to control rats in sugarcane fields. They soon became a far bigger threat to native wildlife | World News
Back in the late 1800s, Hawaii’s booming sugarcane industry had a serious rat problem. Rats were tearing through the cane fields, cutting into profits, and plantation owners wanted a quick fix. Their answer was to bring in the small Indian mongoose, a fast, sharp-toothed little predator known for hunting rats and snakes back in its…