Kiwi falling victim to possum trappers

An adult female Northland brown kiwi that was caught in a leghold trap near Waipapa four weeks ago has been released back into its home territory by the land owner and Department of Conservation rangers after recuperating at the Native Bird Recovery Centre in Whangarei.

"This bird was lucky," Bay of Islands senior ranger Adrian Walker said.

"Most kiwi caught in traps have to be euthanased. We've had at least two other kiwi caught in leghold traps in the Mid North in the recent past, and that's two kiwi too many."

High prices for possum fur and access to cheap leghold traps had led to an increase in possum trappers, he added. Falling possum numbers was great news in terms of protecting native forests, but commonly-used leghold traps set on the ground in kiwi areas posed a significant risk to the birds.

"Thoughtless trapping such as this can undo many years of hard work done by many dedicated locals to protect kiwi," Mr Walker said.

"I urge all trappers to raise their possum leghold traps at least 70 centimetres above the ground, put in ramps from the ground leading to the traps, and use a flour lure to attract the possum. These measures will help avoid catching kiwi."

If a kiwi was accidently caught in a possum trap, the local DOC office or the Native Bird Recovery Centre should be contacted so the bird could receive medical attention, while land owners with kiwi on their properties should insist that trappers use raised trap techniques. Permits needed to be obtained to operate on public conservation land.

For more information on trapping contact the local DOC or Northland Regional Council office.