Pakistan takes BIG U-turn on terror group tag for TRF, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says, 'We welcome...'
India, Pakistan to potentially face each other thrice in Asia Cup 2025; here's how
India appeals to Thailand, Cambodia to prevent escalation of hostilities: 'Closely monitoring...'
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issues CHILLING warning, says conversations with ChatGPT are...
Meet the 'father of Indian cricket' whose only Test debut was for England, never played for India
NCERT to introduce dedicated module on 'Operation Sindoor' for students of Class...
This man went from earning Rs 5,000 a month to Rs 46 lakh a year without changing jobs, here's how
WORLD
Drones in this place are releasing mosquitoes instead of weapons, and it’s all part of a bold plan.
In a unique effort to save Hawaii’s native birds, drones dropped biodegradable pods filled with mosquitoes over the islands’ forests in June. But these weren’t normal mosquitoes — they were specially bred male mosquitoes that don’t bite. They carry a bacterium called Wolbachia which makes the eggs of wild female mosquitoes unable to hatch when they mate.
The goal is to reduce the number of invasive mosquitoes that are spreading avian malaria, a deadly disease for Hawaiian birds. This disease has been a major threat to rare native species like the Hawaiian honeycreepers — colorful birds that play a key role in pollination and seed dispersal.
According to experts, over 50 species of honeycreepers once lived in Hawaii. Now, only 17 remain, and most are endangered. The ‘akikiki is already functionally extinct in the wild, and fewer than 100 of the ‘akeke‘e are believed to survive.
Mosquitoes were not native to Hawaii and were likely introduced by whaling ships in the 1800s. Since then, they’ve caused waves of bird extinctions, as many native species have no immunity.
Originally, the birds escaped to cooler mountain areas where mosquitoes couldn't survive. But due to climate change, temperatures are rising and mosquitoes are now reaching higher elevations, putting the remaining bird populations at risk.
To tackle this, conservationists turned to a method called the "incompatible insect technique" (IIT). By releasing large numbers of *Wolbachia*-infected male mosquitoes, they aim to stop wild females from reproducing.
This approach offers hope for saving Hawaii’s unique birds without using harmful pesticides, which could damage other important insect species in the ecosystem.