Rat captured by the Department of Conservation on the island of Motutapu

Department of Conservation rangers trapped a large rat on Motutapu Island in Hauraki Gulf

The Rangers had largely hunted the rat after being spotted on June 26 before Be found dead 12 days later.

The island is home to endangered native birds, including Coromandel's brown kiwifruit, takahē, teke / saddleback, pōpokotea / whitehead, solitary tūturuatu / plover, and pāteke.
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"Catching the rat" Keith Gell, director of operations of DOC Auckland Inner Islands, said: " This shows that our biosecurity systems to protect the pest free islands of Hauraki Gulf are effective. "

A ranger and his rodent detector dog were following a previous sighting of a rat on the island, before catching sight of it at the end of last month.

The dog was used to hunt the rat from Home Bay vegetation, but he was able to escape by jumping into a stream and swimming out of sight.

Additional traps and tracking tunnels have been installed in the area, adding additional traps and tunnels to the biosecurity system.

Baited with peanut butter, traces of rats were recorded on ink pads inside the tunnels to help refine the search area.

"The rat was trapped in a trap saturated with rat odor, which proved very effective in attracting the rat into the trap," Gell said. The current risk for a rat, mouse or other pest to reach one of these islands.

"We want to remind boat owners to make sure that no rats or mice are stowed on their boats, whenever they"

Rats are a major threat for native wildlife, eating eggs and native bird chicks, lizards, weta as well as seeds and flowers, depriving the birds of food.

Motutapu is free of rats, d & rsquo; ermines, opossums, mice and other pests since 2011.