Saunders Island is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, despite having rodents. This includes approximately 11,000 breeding pairs of black-browed albatross and four different species of penguin. Historically, Saunders Island was selected as the site of the first British settlement in the Falkland Islands. Reasons for its selection included the presence of a safe natural harbour and nutritional plants which were beneficial to sailors departing on long voyages. The 12,545 ha (31,000 acre) island was first leased for farming in the 1800’s and purchased by Tony and David Pole-Evans in 1987. It currently has a population of seven people and is still farmed with cattle and sheep.
