(Sent 10/8/04)

To Whom it may concern,

We are a team of MIT students working to develop solutions for the numerous problems facing the Galapagos Islands, through a class called Mission 2008 (http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/).  We are one of five teams who have been assigned to two of the nineteen islands, Floreana and Espanola.  Each team researches the problems specific to its own set of islands, and at the same time keeps the others informed on what it has discovered.  Together as a class, we hope to find a realistic, but complex solution that addresses the entire range of issues that are shaping the Galapagos today.  

One of the major threats affecting native species is the presence of alien or introduced species.  While researching this topic, we came across your website, and were fascinated by the ideas and successes made this past May by your team in the Galapagos.  Although our individual team is concentrating on the two islands Floreana and Espanola, we are very interested in learning more about your work on Isabella, which is both humane and feasible.

Of particular concern to us are the feral pigs on Floreana Island.  Not only do they destroy the natural habitat, they severely diminish the tortoise and turtle populations by eating the eggs directly after they are laid.

Would it be possible to also sterilize the cat populations on Floreana? How did you catch the cats and dogs, and what types of traps were used in your work on Isabella? What is the difference in cost and experience needed for doing surgery verses giving injections? And, would it be possible to design a similar injection for the feral pigs, provided they can be caught?

We would greatly appreciate any information about your program.  Thank you!

Our team e-mail is tor5@mit.edu, or send information to (insert address which we need from Kip).

Sincerely,
The Las Tortugas Team 5:


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