Puffins have returned to nest on the Isle of Muck off the coast of County Antrim for the first time in 25 years, thanks to the efforts of the conservation charity Ulster Wildlife.
The successful return was made possible by the systematic eradication of non-native brown rats from the tiny island, which had been preying on puffin eggs and chicks.
Ulster Wildlife, the Northern Irish conservation charity, led the project to remove the rats, allowing the seabirds to recolonise the island naturally.
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Conservationists have hailed the return as a significant milestone for the species in the region, with hopes that the puffins will now breed successfully on the island.
