"House Cat's Arrival in 1894 Led to Species Extinction on Remote Island"

In 1894, a lighthouse keeper brought his pregnant cat, Tibbles, to the remote Stephens Island in New Zealand. Within a year, Tibbles and her offspring had hunted the native, flightless Lyall’s wren to extinction. This incident highlights the devastating impact of introducing non-native predators to isolated ecosystems and underscores the importance of conservation efforts to protect vulnerable species.