Giant mice eating baby seabirds

Albatross with chick

Supersize mice are killing and eating thousands of seabird chicks living on a protected colony in the South Atlantic.

The baby birds, which include huge albatrosses, are falling prey to the mice even though they are still 250 times bigger than the giant rodents.

"The mice weigh just 35 grams; it is like a tabby cat attacking a hippo," said RSPB expert Dr Geoff Hilton.

The charity says the mice threaten some species with extinction, and say they should be controlled.

Chat about animals

The critters are killing birds on Gough Island, a British territory in the South Atlantic seas.

The island hosts the most important seabird colony in the world, home to 22 bird species, including most of the world's Tristan albatross and Atlantic petrel populations.

Night-time attacks

For years the birds thrived because they had no predators, but the mice have now started attacking the birds in their nests at night.

And with the increase in food, the house mice have grown to three times their usual size.

Experts are now trying to work out how to protect the chicks.

One way could be to drop mice poison on the island, but this could cost millions and there's no guarantee the birds will be saved.