Villagers report that a rat infestation of this size has not been seen for over 20 years in northern Laos
VIENTIANE, 25 June 2009 (IRIN): A burgeoning rodent (gnaver) population is damaging crops and worsening the food security situation for thousands of families across northern Laos, but experts believe the introduction of barn owls (slørugler) could ease the problem.
A study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) proposes introducing barn owls (Tyto alba) to control the rodents. Native to Laos, the owl is a natural predator of rats which make up 99 percent of its diet.
Unlike rat traps used in many villages, the owl plan requires no major effort by local communities. But local community participation would be vital to the programmes success, Serge Verneau, FAO country representative in Vientiane, told IRIN.
– We need to encourage communities not to kill the birds, not to eat them, to leave them in peace and not to practice slash and burn so frequently that it destroys the birds natural habitat, he explained.
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