"I would say it's no longer a technical challenge. It becomes an economic challenge, right? Do we have the money to pay for it and do we want to pay for it."

That’s James Willcocks, project director of Predator Free Wellington (PFW), reflecting on how native bird numbers have more than doubled on Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula suburb. That’s because of the intensive control of predatory pest mammals. Pest control technologies are at a point that NZ cities can be filled with many more native birds, if enough of us want it.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581731/native-bird-numbers-double-in-miramar-peninsula

#conservation #birds #nz #PredatorControl #RNZ

“For every hectare, one 18-gram sausage was dropped.”

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/561005/sausage-used-as-secret-weapon-in-war-against-feral-cats

#nz #PredatorControl #FeralCats #RNZ

We've got two new chickens, which my wife yesterday named Buffy and Willow. By strange coincidence a miniature vampire (AKA a stoat) showed up in our garden this morning, so we set out our trap to do some slaying.

I'm not sure if Buffy and Willow have quite got this figured out as they've settled down on top of the trap.

#chickens #garden #nz #PredatorControl