Ten islands in Australia are being shut down thanks to the rat infestation currently plaguing the land.
Found off the coast of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, they will remain closed for three weeks while the problem is tackled.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will be working to remove the rodents on the islands.
The Franklin Islands and Northern Barnard Islands are those affected.
The rats are thought to have migrated to the island by stowing on boats that visit the islands or using logs during flooding to raft over.
Ranger Warrick Armstrong told ABC News Australia how they can affect other wildlife in the area.
He explained: “They cause major extinctions and a decline in island biodiversity around the world, and we certainly know on our Australian islands they have a huge impact on nesting seabirds.
“They are damaging seabird eggs, eating hatchlings.
“We also have a lot of visitors to campgrounds, so there’s a risk of disease that’s carried by these pest rats.”
A helicopter will drop bait over the islands as part of the baiting programme.
Franklin Islands is often named as one of the best beaches in Australia.
The islands in Cairns, which include the Franklin Islands, are also known to have the best boat tours across the region.
They are all uninhabited by humans and protected, meaning they remain peaceful and undamaged.
Beautiful wildlife is often the focus of the tours, which frequently stop over on the island, although camping on the island requires permission.
The Australian islands aren’t the only closures to affect the tourism industry this year.
Boracay in the Philippines has been forced to close in an attempt to protect it.
Sewage flows in the water from the local hotels and establishments has ruined the island, forcing its closure.
Maya Bay in Thailand is also to close this summer.
Boats and tourists have risen in number in recent years, so the closure hopes to protect the damaged coral.
