A possum control programme in the Silver Peaks, north of
Dunedin, is dependent on the vagaries of the weather.
Animal Health Board Southern South Island programme manager
Brent Rohloff said the control job was to reduce the spread
of, and attempt to eliminate, bovine Tb in the area's possum
population.
However, the contractor, the Otago Regional Council's
regional services division, was waiting for a "reasonable
weather window" which was a difficulty in the Silver Peaks,
he said.
The two-stage programme involved a pre-feed being put out and
the toxin 1080 about one week after that, spread by
helicopters using "extremely sophisticated GPS".
The reserve would be closed on the day of the operation and
the day after, with staff stationed at its entrances and
signs in place advising of the closure.
The job had to be completed during winter as the board only
had permission from Public Health South to carry out the
programme until the end of August. However, it would not be
compromised just for the sake of getting it done.
"The main reason we do it in winter is the feed is lower in
the bush so the possums are more likely to take the bait and
it's a high recreation area in summer," Mr Rohloff said.
The work would not be carried out at the weekend or on public
holidays.
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