# Rat-free Redonda island becomes Caribbean’s newest wildlife reserve 2026-08-09T14:18:15+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Antigua and Barbuda has declared Redonda Island a protected ecosystem reserve, covering nearly 30,000 hectares of land and sea. The move comes after an eight-year restoration project that eradicated invasive rats and feral goats, allowing the island's native wildlife to rebound dramatically. According to Fauna & Flora, vegetation has increased by over 2,000% since 2017, and the critically endangered Redonda ground dragon population has grown 13-fold. The reserve will help the country meet its commitment to protect 30% of its terrestrial and marine areas under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: biodiversity, Caribbean, conservation, invasive species, Redonda Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/rat-free-redonda-island-becomes-caribbeans-newest-wildlife-reserve/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/rat-free-redonda-island-becomes-caribbeans-newest-wildlife-reserve/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.