Traps targeted by vandals

Vandals are targeting and destroying ferret traps in Tongariro Forest, putting vulnerable kiwi at risk. 

Four traps have been burned and a fifth was run over by a vehicle, on a track not far from the 42 Traverse. The damage is thought to have occurred in mid-September. 

Department of Conservation Biodiversity Ranger Jerome Guillotel says it's frustrating to see senseless vandalism undermining kiwi conservation efforts. 

While traps have been smashed or stolen in the past, the recent series of incidents seems “more deliberate and malicious”. 

“It’s bad for the kiwi, every trap removed from operation leaves them a little more vulnerable to introduced predators.” 

More than 600 brown kiwi call Tongariro Forest home. 

Because of the intensive pest control, DOC has been able to supplement the population with about 350 kiwi from Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari. 

The traps are part of a range of measures aimed at protecting Tongariro Forest kiwi from introduced predators like ferrets, including three-yearly aerial 1080 operations. 

Jerome says even one ferret can wreak havoc in a short amount of time and unlike most other introduced predators, ferrets can kill fully grown kiwi.  

In 2018 a single ferret in Tongariro Forest killed 10 monitored kiwi in just three months. 

“The traps are a critical part of preventing this kind of loss.” 

If people observe suspicious or illegal activity on conservation land, they should call the DOC emergency hotline on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) with as much detail as possible.