There was joy at the Department of Conservation (DOC) this morning when the rat that invaded Motuora, a ‘pest free’ island in the Hauraki Gulf, had its jaunt cut short when it was found caught in one of the traps set around the island.
And in the end, it was the simple attraction of peanut butter and an old fashioned snap trap that lured it in.
Evidence of a rat on the island was first seen on 3rd February when footprints were discovered, sparking a major trapping campaign by DOC. The presence of the rat on the island was a huge concern as Motuora is home to young kiwi chicks and other threatened species, and had never had mammalian predators such as rats, stoats or ferrets.
Rory Renwick, Biodiversity Programme Manager for DOC, said adding to the frustration of trying to catch the rat was that it was likely it had arrived on the island as a stowaway in a visitor’s boat, kayak or gear.
“It’s fantastic we’ve caught it, but it has taken a huge amount of time and money and the whole thing was avoidable. I can’t stress enough how important it is for visitors to conservation islands to check their vessels and gear before arriving at, or near, an island. The amount of time a simple check takes is very small compared to the huge effort that has gone into trying to catch this animal,” he said.
“Just because you haven’t seen pests on your boat doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Everyone can help us out just by being a bit more careful.”
He estimates over $10,000 was spent on the operation, and says it is money that could have been put to better use.
DOC have used a variety of methods to snare the rat, including various types of bait, rodent detection dogs and the use of live caged rats to act as lures. There were over 400 traps set around the island.
Trapping will continue on the island for approximately another week to ensure there are no more rats present.
Media Contact:
Louise Skelton on 0275 111 222
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Motuora is an 80 hectare island, five kilometres east of Mahurangi Heads, north of Auckland. It is jointly managed by the Department of Conservation and the Motuora Restoration Society.
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The live rats used in the trapping operation are captive bred, so are used to being caged, and were supplied with food, water, bedding and shelter. They were male, as males are found to be the most attractive to other male and female rats. This initiative had ethics committee approval.
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The island pays a key part in Operation Nest Egg, a programme supported by the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust. North Island brown kiwi chicks are sent to Motuora when they hatch, and live there until they are big enough to withstand stoat predation.
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There are currently an estimated 60 kiwis on the island.
Motuora is being restored with plantings of native trees and the introduction of threatened native species, such as Diving petrels, Shore skinks and Duvaucel’s geckos.