Re: Predators beware, February 21 page 2 story.
I commend East Coast iwi Ngati Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, who partnered with Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation (DoC), for their efforts on this project.
As written, dealing with people’s fears around 1080 was big mahi. I reassure readers, the gains far outweigh the losses.
DoC notes that 1080 is far less toxic to birds than mammals, but some native birds — weka, robins, tomtits and kea — are susceptible. We read here the Raukūmara is home to rare species such as kāka, kiwi, whio, pekapeka/bats and the Hochstetter’s frog, but in the past few decades, populations of these have been devastated by stoats, rats and possums.
“We not only want to restore the Raukūmara but also our relationships with the natural environment and with each other.”
