Working towards a pest free Purerua-Mataroa peninsula

About this episode

The episode discusses efforts to make the Purerua-Mataroa peninsula pest-free to protect the Northland brown kiwi.

One peninsula to the north of the Bay of Islands is home to an estimated three thousand Northland brown kiwi. The Pest Free Purerua-Mataroa project aims to reduce predators numbers on the peninsula and defend its narrow neck from re-invasion. Working across a patchwork of landuse and landowners, the team are using AI traps and technology to help catch the remaining pests. But one feral cat continues to elude them, and the ongoing threat to kiwi from pet dogs is proving tricky to solve. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more. Learn more: Northland kiwi are a genetically distinct subspecies of the North Island brown kiwi, whose numbers are doing pretty good in recent years, due in large part to Operation Nest Egg facilities like the National Kiwi Hatchery. Predator Free South Westland is also working across different land types and usages in their bid to remove pests from a huge area. Wellington is set to be New Zealand’s first predator-free city , with an ambitious target of ten years. RNZ’s Northland reporter Peter de Graaf has been following the situation of dog attacks on kiwi on the Purerua peninsula and kiwi…

People in this episode

Guests: Andy Mentor, Zane Wright, Mariao Hohaia, Grace Walsh, Tiwai Rawiri

Topics covered

• pest control
• kiwi conservation
• AI technology
• predator management
• land use
• wildlife protection

Keywords

• Northland brown kiwi
• pest free
• AI traps
• feral cats
• dog attacks
• predator-free city
• Operation Nest Egg

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pest Free Purerua, Ngāti Rēhia, Tapuaetahi Incorporation, Onekura road trappers, Ngāti Torehina, Pēwhairangi Whānui

Places: Purerua-Mataroa peninsula, Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand

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