Miramar zeros in on zero rats
A fantail, or pīwakawaka, flits playfully around Dan Henry as he toes the dirt on a track in Centennial Reserve, Miramar.
It is one of many examples of how Miramar is welcoming more native birdlife, putting it well on the way to likely become the first predator-free urban area in the world – on target for the end of the year.
Henry runs Predator Free Miramar (PFM), a grassroots community organisation that has been putting traps in Miramar backyards since 2016. ‘‘That is not meant to be here,’’ he says of the fantail. ‘‘That is a blacktailed pīwakawaka. They are meant to only live in the South Island.’’
Predator free was ‘‘just a handy name for possum, rat and mustelid free’’, he said.
‘‘It is about every last rat. It is not just a sexy name for ‘not many rats’.
‘‘It has never been done anywhere in the world before in an urban setting like this, on this scale, but ... it is working.’’
But the community had to remain vigilant.
Predator Free Wellington (PFW) placed measurement devices in July, to identify and zone in on remaining populations.
In the first week, just 11 rats and five weasels were caught – out of 3200 traps.
PFW’s James Wilcocks said this week would see renewed homing in on any survivors.
‘‘We are relying on the fantastic support of the community to be the eyes and ears.’’
Henry believed the success was the result of a community movement bringing everyone along with it.
‘‘We are here to kill rats and have a good time doing it, and get to know our neighbours.’’
Turning the conservation dialogue into a positive one was crucial.
‘‘We ... shouted it from the rooftops when we caught the hundredth rat, and the 500th rat, and the thousandth rat.
‘‘And allowed people to post pictures of dead things.’’
The Facebook PFM group discussed whether it was right to post photos of fresh kills. Henry was unapologetic.
‘‘We are a competitive species and for every person who balks at the sight of a rat ... there will be 99 others who go: I am going to check my trap, because that is my neighbour, and if they have caught a rat, I am going see if I can catch two.’’
It was not always about the birds either.
‘‘For others it is about: rats are gross and I don’t want them on my property, or ... they chew through the dishwasher outlet hose and flooded the kitchen and cost us 500 bucks.’’
‘‘That is why I know this will work, because it is a story about people.’’