From kingsnakes to cacti, invasive species have been wreaking havoc on Gran Canaria in recent decades and pose an ongoing threat to the biodiversity of the island. Employees of a public company responsible for protecting the environment are on a mission to eradicate the "exotic species" that "complicate life," says biodiversity official Miguel Ángel Morcuende Hurtado. "These species have no predators and have the enormous advantage of being able to develop at an incredible speed," he explains. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES