EDITORIAL

The worst case scenario for any wildlife sanctuary or conservation project is a predator intrusion, particularly if it is a stoat. It is not only expensive to deal with in terms of staff time and equipment but also devastating in terms of loss of precious, rare wildlife.

Since their introduction in the late 1800s stoats have become invasive pests throughout New Zealand and have had a shattering effect on our unique wildlife.

Stoats (Mustela erminea) are small, intelligent, natural born killers with a strategy of killing everything in sight and storing the surplus for later, making them a challenge to deal with. They are capable swimmers making islands, assumed to be safe from invasion, vulnerable to their arrival. Stoats do not belong in any eco-sanctuary in New Zealand.

Tracking down one or more male stoats currently roaming across the 3,800 hectares of Motutapu and Rangitoto is proving to be a major challenge. Since May 2020 a lot of resources have been thrown at the stoat incursion response.