Natural born killers
Natural born killers
Nine out of ten North Island brown kiwi chicks born in the wild will die before they are 1 year old.
This is the stark reality facing our vulnerable native species in their battle against imported predators.
Natural born killers such as stoats, rats, cats and possums exact a terrible toll on New Zealand's wildlife and forests.
Dozens of native bird species are fighting a desperate battle for survival against these introduced predators. There are fewer than 500 rowi (Okarito kiwi) living in the wild, and the total populations of species like takahē, kōkako, kakī (black stilt) and kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) all number in their hundreds.
Introducted predators such as stoats and
rats are a constant threat to native wildlife
Stoats, rats and feral cats have helped push the kākāpō to the brink of extinction. This iconic flightless parrot now only survives in island sanctuaries cleared of pests through intensive predator-control campaigns.
In 2000, an explosion of rat populations in South Island beech forests wiped out mohua (yellowhead) from Mt Stokes in Marlborough and kākāriki karaka from Canterbury's North Hurunui.
Possums not only raid nests, taking eggs and chicks for protein, but also defoliate thousands of hectares of native forest. Species such as mistletoe and rātā have been completely eaten out from some parts of the West Coast.
Doing nothing is not an option. We have a duty to future New Zealanders to protect our natural heritage. We also have a large economic investment at stake-our $20 billion dollar tourism industry is built on the backdrop of our forests and our wildlife; and healthy, functioning ecosystems generate the stable soils, clean water, carbon storage and pollination benefits that our $12 billion agricultural sector trades on.
When we do act, the results speak for themselves. Studies show that targeted pest control campaigns can turn the tide for threatened species. North Island brown kiwi survival rates in the Tongariro Kiwi Sanctuary surged to almost 70 percent in the year following intensive predator control.
We have already lost more than 40 bird species, three frogs, a bat, at least three lizards and numerous insect species. Of the 5819 New Zealand native plants and animals, more than half are classified as at risk, making our native wildlife amongst the most threatened on the planet.
If we fail to do all we can to protect our forests and our wildlife, what will our legacy be?
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