Pet cat sparks scare at wildlife sanctuary

A young girl and her cat sparked a security scare at Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua.

The island is home to a number of rare and endangered plants, reptiles and birds and has become a global model for ecological restoration.

But the girl, believed to be 6, managed to breach security measures by taking her cat with her to the island.

Mokoia Island Trust chairman Selwyn Bennett said the girl discovered her cat had stowed away in the car in which she and her family had driven to the Rotorua lakefront.

The girl was told by a relative to leave the cat in the car but she hid it under her clothing.

The cat was discovered during a routine security check of the passengers once they arrived at the island by boat.

It was locked in the island's quarantine building and posed no danger to wildlife.