Green Options

A plan from the 1990s to remove all feral cats from Macquarie Island in the land down under hasn’t exactly gone as planned. The absence of the cats, meant to save the island’s bird population, only made room for a pesky animal that’s bothered Australians since the 18th century: the rabbit.

Inundated by rabbits, Robben Island in South Africa, will close for several weeks as officials cull the local population, BBC News reports. The island is home to the prison where former South African President Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years.

According to officials, the rabbit population has become so unwieldy that it endangers the island’s vegetation and historic buildings.