Finch birds, sterile leech insects, chicken blood..

It's a different war. Hope everybody know Galapagos islands. These islands are the reason for increasing or maintaining biodiversity. We can call these islands as evolution lab. Darwin published his theory of evolution from these islands only.

Number of Finch birds count keep reducing in these islands. It is due to the Maggot leeches enters into the Finch nest and suck young chick's blood completely and destroy them. Finch birds in this island are rare which is not available anywhere. So scientists involving into this war and trying to save these Finch birds.

Initially scientists caught few Finch birds and secured in a laboratory. Their effort got success in this step. But how to protect the Finch birds which is in Galapagos islands against leeches? So they came up with the new technical approach “producing sterile leeches”. As per this plan they will produce lot of leeches and kill only female's. Then the will make male leeches into sterile by giving drugs. Then they will leave them in the island. Sterile leeches will get into island and join with female leeches. Such a way the number of leeches will be reduced.

Also, when male leech's ratio is more than female, their will be competition between male leeches and kill themselves. This is the strategy. But, producing Galapagos Island leeches in the laboratory was difficult. They will suck only birds blood. They did not eat Egg white, milk, beef, pork, liver etc. They did not grow well.

As per Ethics feeding actual birds to leeches also banned for this project. Then one of the scientist suggested the simple idea. That is “Feeding Chicken blood”. Then everybody inspired by this idea and they started feeding Chicken blood along with milk powder, zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin D. With this food leeches grown very well.

Till now they produced 41 sterile leeches successfully. After a certain number, they will unload them into island. This plan is considered as last attempt to save Finch birds since only 80 Finch birds only available in Galapagos Island.

We will come to know in the results of this Strange war in few months.

---From One of the article I read