Staats Island is one of the Beaver Island Group in the Falkland Islands. It lies between Beaver Island and Weddell Island, parallel to Tea Island and is 500 hectares (1,200 acres) in area. It is known for its Patagonian foxes and guanacos, both introduced species; the former is not to be confused with the closely related Falkland Islands Fox now extinct. The introduction of Guanaco has led to overgrazing of the tussac while the introduction of foxes has had a negative effect on the resident birds and there is an eradication programme to eliminate foxes from this and other islands in the Beaver Island Group Other wildlife on the uninhabited island includes Magellanic penguins and other sea birds.
Famous quotes containing the word island:
“The shifting islands! who would not be willing that his house should be undermined by such a foe! The inhabitant of an island can tell what currents formed the land which he cultivates; and his earth is still being created or destroyed. There before his door, perchance, still empties the stream which brought down the material of his farm ages before, and is still bringing it down or washing it away,—the graceful, gentle robber!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)