Pastures Past: Stoats and weasels introduced to New Zealand

Stoats are among New Zealand's most notorious pest predators. Photo / Patrick Garvey

Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

It all started with the rabbit plague.

Stoats and weasels were introduced to New Zealand to wipe out the rabbits to prevent the devastation they were doing to pasture.

No one thought about the destruction of our native birds till the numbers started dropping and then it was almost too late as the weasels, ferrets and stoats had become protected.

Stoats and weasels were arriving by the shipload into this country and soon became very friendly with local hedgehogs and rats who became their partners in crime.

To the editor

Wanganui Herald, December 3, 1889

Sir, — The warning re introduction of noxious animals was too late!

I see by The Rangitikei Advocate of November 27th that “five hundred stoats and weasels which arrived at Wellington by the last direct steamer were distributed over the largest station in North Wairarapa on Saturday. The cost was about £5 each.”

Five hundred stoats and weasels! Farmers and mothers, look out for your poultry and children!

Now they are introduced the only thing for the settlers to do is to shoot or destroy them wherever they see them.

Remember the rabbits and sparrows and minahs! They were protected!

Don’t let any law protect stoats and weasels, there are five hundred now, in a few years with protection there will be millions!

Where will your poultry be then? The tables may be turned upon the runholders.

The kea was not naturally a carnivorous bird, but circumstances changed its nature, and the stoats, and the weasels may find it easier to kill the young lambs than to go after the rabbits.

Let us hope it may so happen, and then we shall soon get rid of the stoats and weasels.

— I am, $c.,

A PARENT.

Lincolnshire trapper Walter Allbones developed trapping and transportation methods to successfully export stoats and weasels to New Zealand in the 1880s. Photo / Allbones family album

Stoats and ferrets

Increase at Pokeno.

Many pheasants killed

[By telegraph.—Own correspondent.]

Dunedin. Tuesday.

New Zealand Herald, February 25, 1931

According to Mr. James Dobson, of Pokeno, it would seem that stoats were very plentiful in that district during the year.

The Otago Acclimatisation Society at its meeting last evening received two snapshots of stoats which he had trapped and of pheasants which the stoats had killed.

It was estimated that 700 pheasants were killed by these stoats before they were exterminated.

Mr. Dobson stated that he had killed 37 stoats on his pheasant fields this year.

He also stated that wild ferrets were increasing fast.

These late-19th-century Bushey Park workers likely include some who helped fight the plague of rabbits on the farm, which then-owner Francis Rich tried to tackle by introducing stoats and weasels to New Zealand. Photo / Waitaki Archive

Drive against stoats and weasels

[Per Press Association]

Christchurch, This Day.

Northern Advocate, November 10, 1936

A concentrated drive against stoats and weasels on the part of all interested in New Zealand bird life was advocated by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, in an interview yesterday.

Mr Parry condemned as inimical to the welfare of game and birds the habits of stoats and weasels.

The widespread nature of the damage done by these, he said, had become alarming.

So prolific was the stoat that, unless measures were taken, within 15 or 20 years there would be competition in numbers between stoats and birds.

He knew that the stoat was tolerated as the destroyer of the rabbit, but his information was that stoats would not attack rabbits while feathered game was available.

Mr Parry said he had reports about the destructiveness of hedgehogs and rats.

These were a definite menace to bird life, and his opinion was that if New Zealand desired to maintain native and game birds, efforts stronger than those of the past should be made to destroy them.

There must be a constant and vigilant campaign against them.

- Source: Papers Past