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Mark Shuttleworth built his fortune by betting on open-source technology. Now, the South African entrepreneur and space tourist is placing a different kind of bet — one on the survival of a species.
The Ubuntu Linux founder has pledged US$1 million to the Mouse-Free Marion Project, a bold conservation initiative aiming to protect the world’s largest flying bird, the wandering albatross, from extinction. The donation gives fresh momentum to a decades-long battle against invasive mice that have decimated seabird colonies on Marion Island — a sub-Antarctic outpost 2,000 kilometres off South Africa’s coast.
For Shuttleworth, who made history as Africa’s first private space traveller, this isn’t just philanthropy; it’s a strategic investment in biodiversity. “The threat from invasive mammals on seabird islands is one of the most tractable, yet under-resourced, conservation challenges,” he said in a prepared statement. “Supporting Marion is about proving what’s possible when technology, logistics and ambition align.”
The project is led by BirdLife South Africa in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. It centres on an aerial baiting campaign — dropping specially formulated rodenticide pellets over the island to eradicate invasive mice. The method has been used successfully on smaller islands but scaling it to Marion’s 290 square kilometres is an unprecedented logistical challenge.
The stakes are high. Marion Island is home to around a quarter of the world’s wandering albatross population. These birds — with wingspans stretching up to 3.5 metres — are icons of the Southern Ocean. But in recent years, camera traps have captured a grim reality: mice gnawing at the heads of chicks and adults alike. Without intervention, scientists warn the species could disappear from the island within decades.
Anton Wolfaardt, the Mouse-Free Marion project manager, described Shuttleworth’s donation as a “game-changing moment.” The funds will help cover the immense costs of helicopters, bait transport, and on-the-ground monitoring — all in a region where the weather can shift from clear skies to blizzard conditions in minutes. “Mark’s contribution provides a huge boost to our efforts,” Wolfaardt said. “It brings this ambitious project within closer reach.”
Shuttleworth joins a growing group of wealthy technologists turning their focus to environmental issues. As climate change accelerates ecosystem collapse, private capital is increasingly filling funding gaps left by governments and NGOs.
“Philanthropy at this scale doesn’t just help a single project,” says conservation strategist Claire McGill, who advises on large-scale biodiversity programs. “It sets a precedent — it shows other donors that these big, difficult conservation problems can be solved.”
The eradication is slated to begin within the next few years, contingent on securing the remainder of the project’s estimated $25 million budget. If successful, Marion Island could become a flagship example of how targeted investment can reverse biodiversity decline.
