The Pukawa Wildlife Management Trust was established in 2002 to improve birdlife
in and around the Pukawa settlement on the southwestern shore of Lake Taupo.

 

Controlling introduced animal pests such as rats, possums and mustelids known to be living in the forest and reserves surrounding Pukawa, has given birdlife a better chance of survival and successful breeding.

The Trust has established a network of 430 box traps as well as rat cafes to dispense rat poison. It also uses Timms traps and Goodnature self setting traps targeting rats and possums. The traps are regularly serviced by a dedicated team of both local residents as well as holiday home owners who visit the area.

Detailed records of what has been caught where, have been kept since the PWMT started and show what can be achieved. As of September 2019 we have reached seventeen years of predator control resulting in 11.426 kills. Breaking down that figure it shows 8186 rats were killed, 841 possums, 633 mice, 473 hedgehogs, 376 rabbits, 378 stoats, 245 weasels, 44 ferrets and 250 cats. Regular bird call counts have been carried out to confirm and quantify the difference this work is having on the birdlife.

An important addition to our continuing campaign to control predators in the Pukawa bush is surveillance cameras.

Motion sensing cameras are used to monitor trap sites and observe predator behaviour. Some surveillance camera footage can be seen on the "Videos" page. (You will need to be logged on to view).

The videos show activity around Pukawa trap lines. Visits from a wild pig have been recorded, along with interesting behaviour from a possum trying to get into a bait station. Rat activity can be seen around traps and a test bird nest site. Stoats and ferrets have also been photographed.

It was rewarding to see native falcon (karearea) on the Pirates trap line.

The picture shows Jean Stanley with one of the cameras operated by the Trust.

Jean Stanley awarded QSM in 2020 New Year Honours List
Click to see more...

The rare native white mistletoe Tupeia Antarctica is threatened by browsing from possums. An explanatory sign has been placed by the lake describing how the conservation efforts made by the Trust have benefited this endangered plant. As a result, the white mistletoe is now thriving in the Pukawa area.

Here is another way to look at the impact of the work of the Trust's dedicated team.
They have removed 5.6 tonnes of vermin from the bush around the village!

Trap tallies from 2003 to Sept 2019    (Note - trapped area approx 120 ha)

"The Singing Forest of Pukawa"
Recorded by Anthony Baynes



The best feedback from our
efforts at predator control
comes from the birds themselves.
A daily joy to witness.