Halo Project tests results

RATS and hedgehogs top the list of animals trapped in the Halo Project, and now more focus is being placed on how it is improving the biodiversity of the area.

A recent report by AgriPlanz Ltd, on behalf of the Otago Regional Council, shows a total of 404 pests killed as of April 8, since the project started in November 2016.

The community project is in the phase of ridding stoats and rats from a 3900ha buffer zone around Orokonui Ecosanctuary.

It involves more than 100 volunteers.

The report shows 41 stoats killed in that time.

Project manager Rhys Millar said that was in line with what the trust hoped to trap.

‘‘We obviously hope that will decline. It’s a hard thing because the volunteers want to be catching things, and sometimes they’re not. I totally understand that, but there’s a perverse outcome here because we want to drive those numbers down so that nine out of 10 days they’re not catching anything.’’

The trust was now starting to monitor the biodiversity benefits of the project, such as lizard and bird distribution, he said.

The numbers of trapped pests were probably underreported, he said.

‘‘A lot of people enjoy the trapping, but aren’t so motivated to sit on their computer and enter the data, but we’re working on that.’’

The numbers include six feral cats killed.

Mr Millar said there were some areas in which the trust knew there were populations of feral kittens.

‘‘We quite deliberately caught them so they didn’t breed with domestic cats.’’

It was a core part of the programme to not trap pet cats, and the trust took steps such as modifying traps so cats would not get in them, he said.

‘‘We work very hard on that. We’re also highly aware of the damage that feral cats, which are not fed on a daily basis, do to wildlife. Feral cats are ruthless killers.’’

The project would benefit greatly from a regional council pledge in its draft longterm plan of $300,000 a year for five years towards Predator Free Dunedin 2050.

‘‘That’ll have a big impact. We’ll be able to expand the programme.’’

A report to regional council recently by its environmental monitoring and operations manager Scott MacLean said the project was ‘‘very successful’’.

‘‘Of note is the significant community engagement aspect of this project.’’