Department of Conservation (Doc) rangers are about to go
duck-hunting - with saving young whio (blue ducks) in mind.
"We are planning to catch a number of whio juveniles from the
Milford Track area before they naturally disperse," Doc Te
Anau biodiversity ranger Max Smart said.
"They will be transferred into areas protected by
stoat-trapping to improve their chances of survival."
Rangers will survey about 160km of rivers looking for whio
parents so they can assess when their young are ready to
fledge and subsequently take flight from their stoat-safe
enclaves.
It is the first time such a project has been attempted on
this scale anywhere in New Zealand.
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