After six months of intensive trapping, Wellington's Miramar Peninsula is about to become New Zealand’s first predator free urban centre.
Possums have already been eradicated and now trappers are tracking down the last rats, stoats and weasels as part of the Government's goal to make New Zealand predator free by 2050.
Six thousand traps and bait stations have already been used in the area.
But, the last of the predators are proving quite elusive, explains James Geluk of Predator Free Wellington.
“A lot of the rats that are left now will be quite familiar with the bait and so they're not really that keen on taking it so we're trying a lot of different things like putting the smaller victor traps in our bait stations to try to trick them going into those,” said Mr Geluk.
Since rat trapping began, the native Falcon bird has made a comeback, and the Tui, the Kaka and the Black Fantail have also returned in greater numbers.
Trappers are also testing the carcasses of the predators, to figure out how they’ve died.
John Hambidge of Predator Free Wellington says doing the tests is important.
“We want to have a look inside them and see whether it's our toxin that's managed to kill them or whether they were pregnant, whether they were male/female,” said Mr Hambidge.
The Peninsula's expected to be completely predator free in the new year and will be closely monitored for the next two years.
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