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With its sub-tropical climate and crystal-clear waters, Kawau Island is a paradise for fishing and sailing. Minutes from the mainland, the popular holiday destination hosts many native birds.
But behind the tranquil facade, landowners are divided over a shadowy poisoning campaign which has left dead wallabies on walking tracks and floating in picture-postcard bays.
Pro and anti-wallaby "factions" have emerged. Some claim the Aussie marsupials must be eradicated to protect the natural environment while others label the "sickening" operation illegal and cruel. The SPCA and Auckland Regional Council are running separate investigations into the deaths.
Wallabies were introduced to Kawau by Governor Sir George Grey, in 1862. He also introduced other exotic animals like possums, kookaburras, peacocks, zebras and monkeys but only possums and wallabies thrived.
Wayne Green, who has a bach on Kawau and has been a regular visitor for nearly 40 years, said most islanders opposed the poisoning.
"It is sickening for those who have had to wit-ness this cruelty and bury so many of these harm-less, inno-cent ani-mals." Green said the wal-labies suffered greatly after being poison-ed, vomiting blood and becoming "virtual zombies" - sometimes taking up to a month to die.
The wal-labies, which die in creek beds, where they have desperately sought water, are washed into the sea, where swimmers have found carcasses. The island - with a permanent human population of about 70 - is home to thousands of wallabies from several species. One, the parma, is endangered in its native Australia. "Kawau should be a sanctuary for these animals, not the killing fields," said Green.
A regular visitor to the island, Kerry Rattray, wrote to a local paper describing how she had to "wipe up several lots of tears" when her children found a dead wallaby.
Green said some were scared to speak out against the poisoning, which was supported mostly by "newcomers" who did not appreciate the wallabies' place in Kawau's history. Fingers have been pointed at the Pohutukawa Trust, a group founded by private landowners to restore the island's damaged ecology.
The trust, which regards feral wallabies as the island's most serious problem because they eat regenerating native seedlings, is committed to wiping them out.
Founder Ray Weaver told the Herald On Sunday the trust used Racumin for rat control and supplied it to its members.
He would not say how many trust members were on the island or whether members were deliberately targeting wallabies with the poison.
"The trust isn't indiscriminately poisoning wallabies, the trust is doing everything that is legal and proper. You should let the trust get on with its job."
Weaver said his preferred method of control was by shooting, and thousands of the animals had been culled that way over the years, but he was not against poisoning. "The final eradication will include poisoning."
SPCA inspector Sue Baudet said she had yet to conclude whether any cruelty or illegality was involved. A bait station and a dead wallaby found on the island were being tested but it was believed Racumin was used.
Although the wallabies are on the ARC's list of pest animals, a spokesman said it had received reports of the poisoning and would carry out an audit of toxins used on Kawau.
Baudet said the campaign was not an official programme.
She had yet to interview people suspected of being behind the poisoning, but said there were "factions" with opposing views.
Weaver claimed the crux of the issue was that some people wanted to keep the wallabies because of their "historic" connection to the Sir George Grey era, even though they were harmful to the island's ecology.
"They are nice little animals, but they have been brought to a place where they don't belong," said Weaver.
