The subantarctic Antipodes Island is now mice-free after an eradication effort aiming to protect the World Heritage site's unique and diverse wildlife and flora, New Zealand's Conservation ministry said.
The 'Million Dollar Mouse' project, which started in 2014, exterminated more than 200,000 mice, seen as a pest because they prey on bird chicks, eggs, insects and seeds, disrupting life on the 2100 hectare island some 760km southeast of New Zealand.
"This is huge news for conservation both in New Zealand and internationally," conservation minister Eugenie Sage said on Wednesday.
She said 21 species of breeding seabirds, more than 150 species of insects - 17 per cent of them only found on the Antipodes - 21 uncommon plant species and four unique land birds could now thrive in the mice-free territory.
