More than 22,300 potential killers were themselves killed in community and Department of Conservation pest control projects last year - not counting the ones that crawled away to die and were never found.
The staggering results were revealed in the first New Zealand data collation of its kind, carried out by Kiwi Coast, a project helping to establish a safe kiwi habitat in eastern Northland.
In total in 2013, conservation projects trapped or poisoned 11,999 rats, 8997 possums, 647 stoats and 657 rabbits between Bream Head and Whangaroa, in an area roughly 150,000 hectares.
Kiwi Coast co-ordinator Ngaire Tyson said the impact of that eradication will be far higher as most of the data was from trap catches, while many community-led conservation projects also use poison.
"In addition, one ferret kill was reported by Hupara Landcare north of Moerewa. As ferrets can quickly destroy local kiwi populations, this was a vital catch."