Elusive Mokoia mouse stopped in its tracks

Date:  21 April 2010

It is hoped that the elusive mouse on Mokoia Island that had been evading DOC staff for the past three weeks has finally been caught. After signs of a mouse showed up during routine checks a full scale search/trapping operation was launched in a bid to catch the culprit as quickly as possible.

“To date we have laid out over 450 mouse traps & 150 bait stations in various grids across the South Eastern aspect of the island where the tracking occurred” explains Thalia Sachtleben, species ranger for DOC Rotorua.

One of the many traps on Mokoia

“While we are pleased with the catch, it is still not known if we are dealing with more than one mouse. We will be continuing to monitor the island over the following weeks in hope that the Island is now pest free”.

Previously on the 29th March a dead rat was discovered in a trap and multiple tracks of mice found on the Island during routine monthly checks. “Monitoring over the past weeks satisfies us that the dead rat was a one off but the mouse was proving a little trickier” says a relieved Thalia.

“Eradication operations are expensive and labour intensive as the traps stations and tracking tunnels need to be checked every other day” says Nicki Douglas DOC Area Manger. However, DOC staff aren’t alone in their efforts. “We are providing training to Wai Ora staff to assist with the ongoing monitoring of the operation and management of the wildlife on the Island”.

DOC, the Mokoia Island trust Board and Wai Ora would like to remind people that all visitors to the Island must get a permit & quarantine checks via Wai Ora - Mokoia Island Experiences.

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