Latest news with #PredatorFreeDunedin
Otago Daily Times
22-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Call to tackle feral cats
PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY A feral cat stalks prey on Otago Peninsula in this file photo. Predator Free Dunedin project lead Rhys Millar says the group "strongly supports" the inclusion of feral cats as a national target species in the Predator Free 2050 (PF2050) strategy review. In a submission to Department of Conservation-led consultation, Mr Millar said the exclusion of feral cats undermined the credibility of the PF2050 mission. "National leadership is urgently needed to develop humane, effective, and co-ordinated approaches to feral cat management," he said. Feral cats were apex predators and leaving them off the list of target species created "a gaping hole in the strategy", he said. Feral cats' exclusion also undermined education and responsible pet ownership initiatives. Doc said it would use input from recent consultation to draft a PF2050 Strategy (2025-30) the government will consider later this year.
Otago Daily Times
14-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Call to include feral cats in predator-free strategy
PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY A feral cat stalks prey on Otago Peninsula in this file photo. Predator Free Dunedin project lead Rhys Millar says Predator Free Dunedin "strongly supports" the inclusion of feral cats as a national target species in the Predator Free 2050 (PF2050) strategy review. In a submission to Department of Conservation-led consultation, Mr Millar said the exclusion of feral cats undermined the credibility of the PF2050 mission. "National leadership is urgently needed to develop humane, effective, and co-ordinated approaches to feral cat management," he said. Feral cats were apex predators and leaving them off the list of target species created "a gaping hole in the strategy", he said. Feral cats' exclusion also undermined education and responsible pet ownership initiatives. "Predator Free Dunedin is committed to working alongside Doc and other partners to achieve a predator-free New Zealand. To succeed, the PF2050 strategy must empower proven landscape projects, provide sustainable funding and support, clarify roles, address the full spectrum of predator threats, and invest in knowledge retention and social licence," Mr Millar said. Doc said it would use input from recent consultation to draft a PF2050 Strategy (2025-30) the government will consider later this year.
Otago Daily Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Sightings to identify possum hot spots
St Hilda's Collegiate international student Yu Yamaguchi, 17, (left) and host sister Kayla van Horik, 17, of Queen's High School, 17, get out into their Highcliff Rd backyard on Saturday night to take part in a Dunedin-wide survey to find out how many possums are living among us. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Dunedin residents are being asked to rug up, step outside into the night and keep their eyes and ears peeled for furry pests holed up in backyards across the city. Predator Free Dunedin's annual Spotlight on Possums event began on Saturday — a city-wide survey to identify possum hot spots. A spokesperson said having everyone look at the same time would help map where possums were in high and low numbers across the city. "Anytime after dark, get yourself rugged up warm and head outside and look for possums," they said. "You could look in your backyard or take a walk to your local park or reserve." People were asked to make a report of their findings — whether they saw the pest or not. "Our goals are to eradicate possums from the Otago Peninsula, to reduce their numbers to 'zero density' across 10,000 hectares in West Harbour-Mt Cargill, and to reduce their numbers to low levels in the city and across 35,000 hectares west of State Highway 1." Spotlight on Possums is a joint initiative between the group, Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group, the Halo Project and City Sanctuary. It will run until Friday. The report form can be found at — APL
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Kākā visitor sparks predator concern
Having a wild-living kākā take up residence in their inner-city garden has spurred a Dunedin couple to take action to keep native birds safe, and to urge others to do the same. The kākā's narrow escape from a stalking cat in the Maitland St garden of Rachel and Russell Elder, sparked concern from Orokonui Ecosanctuary general manager Amanda Symon late last month ( Otago Daily Times , June 20). As kākā numbers reach saturation point within the ecosanctuary, they are spreading outside the predator-proof fence, and have been see in Dunedin, Mosgiel, Warrington, and Waitati. Mrs Elder believes the kākā in her half-acre garden must have made its way there from the ecosanctuary via the town belt and had settled in due to the native bush, and the presence of feijoa and banana passionfruit. "The kākā just loves them and has also been feasting on nuts and seeds it finds on ground — so it is spending a lot of time fossicking at ground level," she said. "Seeing the photo of that cat stalking, it scared the living daylights out of me." While the Elders do not have pets, after their dog Pippa died recently, they are acutely aware that many of their neighbours have cats. "Many of the other native birds we have in our garden, such as tūī, kererū, and bellbirds, tend to stay up in the trees, but the kākā spends a lot of time on the ground. "I feel so privileged to have it here, as well as responsible for its safety — I'm very worried about it." The Elders are planning to install a low-current battery-powered electric "fence" around their property — which gives a warning tingle, not a shock — to help keep cats away. They are also urging Dunedin pet owners to take steps to keep their pets close to home and to consider colourful "scrunchy" collars for cats to warn birds. A member of the Dunedin Tracks Network Trust, Mrs Elder said Dunedin's commitment to habitat restoration and predator eradication was "seeing our wonderful bird species being revived". Projects such as Predator Free Dunedin, the Halo Project and the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group were eradicating pests and enabling native bird populations to grow. "The city itself could be a sanctuary for native birds, as they move along the corridor of the town belt and come into town," she said. "We could be the city where we can step out of our doors and into nature. "This is very exciting, but also a big responsibility as now these birds are in our back yards and are exposed to predators." Mrs Elder said even well-fed cats could hunt native wildlife, and there were things responsible owners could do to reduce their impact on birds and lizards. These included containing cats inside or in enclosed areas, keeping cats indoors at night, anti-predator collars and avoiding feeding birds in backyards where cats were residents.
Otago Daily Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Wildlife capital status gets boost from council
Dunedin's status as the wildlife capital of New Zealand is more secure thanks to $1.2 million in council backing to expand pest elimination efforts, a leader at Predator Free Dunedin says. During this week's long-term-plan deliberations, Dunedin city councillors approved 14 funding requests for the next nine years, totalling about $5.7m. Among the successful requests was Predator Free Dunedin, which will receive $150,000 a year for eight years. Project lead Rhys Millar said retaining Dunedin's status as "wildlife of capital of New Zealand" required investment and the council's backing was important. "In these quite uncertain times at the moment in the environmental sector, it provides us with a baseline confidence for the remainder of that long-term plan cycle," he said. The organisation was close to eliminating possums from the Otago Peninsula and believed there were only three of the pests left. However, "with predator control, you can't walk away really", he said. "This funding allows us to maintain those gains and to [get] ready for the next wave of expansion in the next two years." Predator Free Dunedin's coverage area would expand toward Silver Stream and Silver Peaks. Tools and technology would also be expanded, Mr Millar said. "We've got a strong focus on shifting from possums to eliminating stoats — that's quite a new work programme, which will require quite a lot of resourcing." The organisation would also use the money to leverage more funding from other sources, he said. While no funding went to the Dunedin Tunnel Trails Trust, councillors agreed to updated the existing memorandum of understanding with the trust so it could implant the next stages of the project. About $22.4m in funding for the project had been removed from the draft long-term-plan and at hearings earlier this month, trust chairman Brent Irving said the council needed to return management of the project to the community, who would "get on with the job". Dunedin-based Centre of Digital Excellence received $1.05m across seven years, Startup Dunedin received $900,000 over nine years and the Wildlife Hospital got $300,000 over three years. Funding over the nine-year period was also granted for: Dunedin Tracks Network ($50,000 annually), Tomahawk-Smaills Beach Trust ($15,000 annually, inflation adjusted), Shetland Street Community Gardens ($10,000 annually, 2% adjusted), Town Belt Kaitiaki (funding increased to $50,000 annually), Green Island Combined Sports Bodies Inc ($45,000 annually, subject to service level agreement), Sport Otago ($61,000), the Dunedin Youth Council (funding increased to $10,000 annually) and Swim Dunedin (annual funding of $45,000 adjusted to fully cover rising lane fees). The Otago Nuggets and Southern Hoiho were granted a total of $50,000 over three years, provided the teams could secure a National Basketball League contract.
