# Australian island declared fire-ant free after 20-year effort

2026-08-10T07:59:22+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

Times of India reports that tropical fire ants have been completely eradicated from Melville Island in Australia's Tiwi Islands after two decades of effort. The Tiwi Island Rangers, supported by the government's Indigenous Rangers Program, led the work. They located and poisoned individual nests across 1,535 hectares using the insecticide Amdro. The invasive ants threatened sea turtle hatchlings, small mammals and nesting birds. Four turtle species that nest on the islands are listed as endangered or vulnerable. More than 40 rangers were involved in the project, which won a Territory Indigenous Natural Resource Management Award in 2025.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/australias-tiwi-rangers-spent-two-decades-fighting-invasive-fire-ants-the-island-is-now-declared-free-of-them/articleshow/133086436.cms>

Tags: Australia, conservation, fire ants, indigenous rangers, invasive species, Tiwi Islands
Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/indigenous-rangers-clear-australian-island-of-fire-ants-in-20-year-feat/
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Cite: https://indianopinion.org/indigenous-rangers-clear-australian-island-of-fire-ants-in-20-year-feat/#story-in-brief

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