Two stoats caught in ecosanctuary

Conservation Dogs New Zealand's Scott Theobold and Woody at  Orokonui Ecosanctuary.  Photo supplied.
Conservation Dogs New Zealand's Scott Theobold and Woody at Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Photo supplied.
Two stoats have been caught in traps inside Orokonui Ecosanctuary's predator-proof fence, sparking an intensive search for the way they got inside.

The stoats, a pest credited with helping destroy populations of endangered animals, were caught in ecosanctuary traps just inside the fence, three weeks apart.

Ecosanctuary operations manager Chris Baillie said none of the rare and vulnerable species inside was affected by the stoats.

''There appears to be no collateral damage. Orokonui's canaries in the mine, the saddleback and tuatara, are still in their usual locations.''

The pest-free status of the ecosanctuary was critical for its continued operation, she said.

Ecosanctuary conservation manager Elton Smith said staff were not sure how the stoats gained access, as the fence was intact and no mice or rats had been found.

''We're looking very hard to eliminate any possibilities and solve the problem.''

To confirm there were no other stoats inside the sanctuary, a stoat dog, Woody, and his minder, Scott Theobold, from the Department of Conservation's Conservation Dogs New Zealand took a long walk and found nothing, he said.

There was a possibility the heat deflectors on the fence canopy had expanded, providing a toehold for the pest. To eliminate that possibility, staff and volunteers were replacing the 150 deflectors.

A culvert, which could be another entry point, was also being replaced.

The stoat dog would return for another sweep of the ecosanctuary in a couple of weeks.

''Unfortunately, regular mammalian pest incursions are a fact of life for Orokonui and any other fenced sanctuary. There is nothing like an incursion to keep us on our toes and not to be complacent.''

Ms Baillie said trapping on the outside of the fence had been stepped up.

Doc conservation services manager David Agnew said the ecosanctuary staff had a proven record of acting swiftly and effectively to deal with any incursions and had done so again in this case.

It was a fact of life that an incursion would happen in a mainland ecosanctuary, so it came down to how its staff reacted, and Doc was happy with how Orokonui handled the situation, he said.

''The department has every confidence in the Orokonui Ecosanctuary staff.''

 

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