Latest news with #TePapaKuraoTaranaki
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Litter of puppies dumped in Taranaki's national park, DOC investigating
The seven puppies were found by a member of the public in roadside vegetation in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki. Photo: DOC / SUPPLIED A Department of Conservation investigation is underway after a litter of seven puppies was found dumped in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki. The puppies, estimated to be about six weeks old, were discovered by a member of the public in the national park on 10 August. DOC ranger Cameron Hunt said aside from the disregard for the puppies' welfare, releasing pets or other animals on to conservation land was an offence under the Conservation Act and the National Parks Act. DOC could issue an infringement notice or prosecute anyone found responsible for bringing a domestic pet into national park or conservation land. Hunt said the man who found the puppies was heading up Manaia Rd to the maunga to enjoy a recent snowfall when he spotted something black and white moving in the roadside vegetation. "At first glance, he thought it was a puppy but carried on driving. He then turned around and headed back to confirm his suspicions - and discovered the litter of seven puppies." The puppies were found in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki. (File photo) Photo: Supplied/DOC The puppies - thought to be a collie-working dog cross breed - were handed over to the SPCA, where they were vet checked, vaccinated and treated for worms. They were in extremely good condition and had been well fed prior to being found, but would not have survived the night in the freezing snowy conditions. Cameron said the puppies would eventually be made available for rehoming. "Someone made a deliberate decision and effort to abandon these puppies in the national park, and to do so would've required some sort of vehicle making a brief stop on the roadside. "We're hopeful anyone who saw what happened will contact us and share any information such as the make, model and colour of a vehicle - and better still a registration plate - or possibly descriptions of people they saw." He urged anyone who knew about the dumping of the puppies to contact 0800 DOC HOT and quote CLE-Works number CLE-9642. Any information passed on will be treated confidentially. Earlier this month, DOC publicised the case of a Northland woman who flagrantly breached the "no pets" rules and photographed herself with her six dogs in Tongariro National Park. One of the photographs showed the woman and a dog in front of a "no dogs" sign. In August 2022, DOC visitor centre staff encountered visitors carrying jacket-wearing cats in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki , and in December 2023 a man was pictured with a domestic pet cat in the national park. Cameron said keeping pets such as cats, rabbits, ferrets, and others out of protected spaces, was essential to protect endangered species and pets were safe. "Domestic pets can spread diseases our wildlife has not been exposed to and cannot be protected from. These can devastate our taonga and the ecosystems they depend on. Dogs, in particular, pose a serious threat to kiwi and whio, both of which are found in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10-08-2025
- RNZ News
New Pouākai Hut in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki completed
The hut was expected back on the DOC booking system and available to visitors on 12 August. Photo: Supplied/DOC Karakia rang out across the Pouākai Range in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, as representatives from Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri hapū blessed the new Pouākai Hut. The 34-bunk $2.4 million hut was formally opened this week, marking the official completion of an eight-month build project years in the planning. The unique design was a result of collaboration between Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri, and architects familiar with alpine hut design and construction. "Hapū representatives have valued the collaborative partnership with Department of Conservation on the design and build of the new Pouākai Hut," said Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri hapū member Richard Buttimore. "It has reflected the agreed values for this kaupapa, respecting Pouākai the tupuna, the environment and the whenua - ensuring our ongoing manaaki for the day and overnight visitors who will use this beautiful new hut. "To see the hut develop from initial ideas and plans to now be completed and ready to welcome visitors represents a shared vision brought to reality." The Pouākai Hut was part of the Taranaki Crossing project, a partnership involving DOC, Kānoa - Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and hapū, which saw several tracks across Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki upgraded. The Taranaki Crossing was funded by the Provincial Growth Fund ($16.4 million), which is administered by Kānoa, with additional money provided by DOC ($5.2 million). DOC Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki regional director Tinaka Mearns said the new Pouākai Hut represented a major milestone in the Taranaki Crossing project. "We're so pleased to have completed this part of the project, as it's the most popular hut in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki," Mearns said. "The previous Pouākai Hut was at the end of its life and the new structure is more than double the size of its predecessor, so it's a big improvement for visitors." Mearns said the construction of the hut presented some challenging logistics, including the need to fly materials and tradespeople to the site. "I'm proud of the efficiency and smart thinking the project team has shown to finish the build," she said. "Constructing a hut on the side of a mountain, where there's no road, is not an easy feat. "The construction team has done a terrific job - their skill and dedication to the build has been superb, including living onsite for extended periods." The hut was expected back on the DOC booking system and available to visitors on 12 August. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
21-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Cameras reveal more kiwi than possum on Taranaki range
Kiwi on trail cam at Kaitake. Photo: Supplied / Department of Conservation Dozens of cameras installed on the Kaitake Range in Taranaki are revealing the success stemming from five years of intensive predator control. The western-most of three mountain ranges in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, Kaitake is the focus for a joint predator control programme involving the Department of Conservation, Taranaki Maunga Project, iwi, and other community collaborators. DOC biodiversity ranger Brandon Kingi said a comparison of images captured by the trail cameras dotted across the Kaitake showed a dramatic decrease in predators such as possums, stoats and feral cats - and a notable increase in protected native species like kiwi, which had been successfully reintroduced to the area. "We've seen a big fall in the number of feral cats caught on our cameras, which shows the 1080 operation has effectively controlled them," said Kingi. "Immediately after the operation in November last year, the number of cats detected dropped almost overnight - from about 95 percent of the cameras showing feral cats, to about 1 percent. "There was a similar result for stoats - they were seen on our cameras before the operation, then they had almost vanished when we checked the cameras afterwards." The predator control methods used at Kaitake also included bait stations and leg-hold possum traps. Kingi said keeping predator numbers down required hard physical labour, carried out by staff from DOC and Taranaki Maunga Project, as well as volunteers and paid staff from iwi and community groups. "The community collaborators contributing to Kaitake working to protect biodiversity on the maunga have also helped control rats and mustelids." Kingi said the measured reduction of predators at Kaitake demonstrated how a trapping network extended the benefits from aerial operations by reducing predator reinvasion. There were also anecdotal observations of more birdlife across the range and a healthier forest. Taranaki Maunga Project pou whakahaere taurua/co-project director, Sean Zieltjes, said the camera data was another tangible measure that the hard work by kaimahi and volunteers removing predators and reintroducing kiwi was paying off. "We're really stoked, mate there. Our latest round of camera data from Kaitake is showing more images of kiwi than possums up there at the moment. We're really psyched with this and some ways we can't believe it. But it certainly gives us a shot in the arm and a steer that we're on the on the right track up there, that's for sure." Zieltjes said it showed the power of community involvement to really make a difference in driving biodiversity improvements. Kaitake didn't have a particular focus for Taranaki Mounga Project when it started nearly a decade ago, but community support for it changed that. "Relationships fostered with Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri, the Kaitake Conservation Ranges Trust, schools, landowners, and other groups and agencies, have snowballed into achieving much more than we could ever have done working separately." Zieltjes said invasive species were putting immense pressure on New Zealand's ecosystems and at 4000 Aotearoa had one of the highest rates of threatened species in the world. "Once our unique native species are gone, they are gone for good. The results at Kaitake demonstrate a small but important success in protecting native species." Organisations contributing to predator control and species protection at Kaitake include Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri hapū, Kaitake Conservation Ranges Trust, environmental educators Te Ara Taio, and numerous schools. Taranaki Kiwi Trust, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, and Save the Kiwi had all contributed to the return of kiwi to the maunga. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
