Rotorua rat catcher wins award

Bob Scopes doesn't like pests destroying his part of the environment.

The Tarawera resident is so determined to eradicate pests that he spends his days making rat poison traps to be set around Lake Tarawera reserves.

His endless volunteer work as the Lake Tarawera pest control co-ordinator was recognised in the latest round of awards from Environment Bay of Plenty and he won the individual category for excellence and innovation.

The former engineer, who moved to his Tarawera lakefront section 12 years ago from Auckland, was asked to create a rat trap that would not affect other animals or birds in the area.

His invention, made of plastic piping and special rat bait, has killed thousands of rats over four years.