In the eight years since cats were eradicated, the rabbits have caused "catastrophic" damage to the ecology of the sub-Antarctic island. Their munching(むしゃむしゃ食べる)on the island’s foliage has caused so much damage, in fact, that changes to the island’s flora(植物相)can be seen from space. Macquarie Island is the most important breeding site for the royal penguin, and the loss of plant cover is thought to make penguins more vulnerable to predation(捕食).