Whangārei bird expert urges gin trap ban after baby kiwi dies

Robert Webb with a healthy Kiwi chick. Photo / File

Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre manager Robert Webb says gin traps should be banned after a baby kiwi caught in one had to be euthanised.

It was the fourth in a matter of a few months that Webb knows about - the first three were adult kiwi who survived, although one had to have its toe amputated.

"That's only the ones that are being brought in," he said. Others were not brought in as people were afraid of getting into trouble, Webb added.

The recovery centre's most famous resident, Sparky the one-legged kiwi, lost his leg after being caught in a gin trap laid on the ground to catch possums.

The latest baby kiwi, which Webb estimated to be no more than two and a half months old, was caught in a trap laid by a property owner aiming to trap pests who could kill kiwi.

"The guy was horrified because he didn't think that kiwi would come that close to the house. They will come right up and eat the cats' food."

He said the young kiwi must have been in the trap for 12 hours before it was found. The young male brown kiwi could not be saved as it was too late by the time it got to the recovery centre last Thursday.

"The big fellas, it does a bit of damage to the leg but the baby ones it just about takes the leg right off."

Webb said people were setting the traps with little knowledge of what they could do to kiwi, pets and even children.

"It's about time they put a total ban on possum traps, the old gin traps.

"It's been looked at until they're blue in the face."

Gin traps can almost take a young kiwi's leg off. Photo / File

Webb said the problem was exacerbated by the fact that gin traps were so cheap, and safe traps that wouldn't ensnare kiwi cost around $40.

Gin traps could be bought for as little as 50c to a dollar, and people often found old ones lying around, he said.

Webb suggested a subsidy from the Department of Conservation (DoC) would help encourage the use of traps safe for kiwi.

"DoC are giving [the property owner] a few traps to use, but why not subsidise them?"

The sale and use of gin, or leg-hold traps, was restricted under the Animal Welfare Act. Leg-hold traps over a certain size were banned without an exemption from the Ministry for Primary Industries.