Rat free status for island

There are no rats among the hens - or more precisely, a rodent eradication programme on Taranga (Hen) Island off Bream Bay appears to have been successful.

No signs of kiore, or rats, have been recorded since a large scale, aerial assault eradication programme in May 2011.

The Department of Conservation and Ngatiwai Trust Board worked together on Project Restore to remove rats to ensure the continued existence and recovery of threatened species on the island.

Monitoring was carried out in June last year and again in May this year. Rodent detection methods included tracking tunnels, rat traps, observations from people working on the island and rodent-detecting dogs.

Programme manager Keith Hawkins said DoC is confident the eradication was successful.

"Two years allows for any kiore that may have survived the bait drop to have bred to detectable levels and be picked up by monitoring."

It is known that after kiore eradications from islands, tuatara and lizard numbers recover quickly and DoC expects this will happen on Taranga Island.

Coastal broadleaf forest covers Taranga Island and is home to saddleback, little spotted kiwi, red crowned parakeet, kaka and pycroft's petrel. Tuatara, at least six species of lizard and an endemic land snail also inhabit the island.

Taranga has extensive historical features and holds spiritual significance to Ngatiwai.

The nature reserve is part of the Hen and Chicken group and is ranked as internationally important. Taranga is strictly a no-landing zone to protect the rare and endangered flora and fauna.