Donations flood in for environmental group hit by trap thefts

A Goodnature employee installs one of the company's A24 self-resetting traps. Photo / Supplied

An environmental group has been swamped with offers of help after two high-tech self-setting traps were stolen from islands off Paihia.

The latest donation came from Wellington-based company Goodnature, which manufactures the A24 traps which were discovered missing from Motumaire and Motuarahi islands last week.

The traps had been installed by volunteer group Bay Bush Action, which had caught 267 rats on the tiny islands.

The traps are powered by a CO2 cylinder and reset automatically up to 24 times before the cylinder has to be replaced, but cost close to $200 apiece.

Motumaire and Motuarahi islands, just off Paihia, are home to native skinks and endangered birds such as the New Zealand dotterel. Photo / Stephen Western

Goodnature field ranger Sam Gibson said he read the Advocate's story about the theft and tracked down Bay Bush Action trustee Brad Windust to offer him four new traps. The traps are expected to arrive today. ''It's really sad when community groups put time and money into doing the right thing, then other people take liberties with that,'' Gibson said.

''Brad's story resonated with us so we thought we'd better help him out.''

Since word of the thefts got out many others have offered to help, including four members of a Haruru Falls family who each donated an A24 trap.