‘Play gym’ trap helps capture seven stoats at pest-free Shakespear Regional Park

Seven stoats have been captured during an outbreak at Auckland’s pest-free Shakespear Regional Park, however it is estimated there could be around four more, Stuff reports. Stoats pose a significant risk to threatened native birds and lizards. The threat is not taken lightly by conservation officials, so much so that an indefinite rāhui is in place over Motutapu Island in the Hauraki Gulf, which is currently suffering its fourth stoat excursion since May 2020. The sanctuary’s tīeke (North Island saddleback) population has already been “severely impacted” by the stoat outbreak, as revealed in March when only 30 birds were found during a survey which was expected to find about 100.