Banner Photo: Kiwi footprints seen by the body of Kanuka
Back in September, we lost Kanuka, a healthy breeding kiwi. Fi and Chris found his body under a recent tree-fall. He had some suspicious-looking puncture marks to his head and neck.
The remains of Kanuka found by Fi and Chris
DoC ranger Kahori sent his remains to Massey School of Veterinary Science for an opinion.
The results indicate that he was killed by a predator, most likely a stoat.
Since the loss of Kanuka, Tipene, Cob and Krysten from Te Ngahere (Jobs for Nature) have been trapping the area where he was killed. They have eliminated an amazing number of possums and caught a stoat in a DOC250 trap near where Kanuka was found. We won’t know if that’s the culprit, but it’s one less nasty.
Chris, listening to Kanuka’s mortality signal
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has donated 10 AT220 resetting possum traps and these were installed by Tipene’s team in the Don’s Stream, Ngahere area. They’re already doing their magic.
Our thanks to the HBRC for their contribution. We will be keeping a close eye on how the AT220s perform.
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