Lincoln’s wildlife warriors take fight to pests

Lincoln’s wildlife warriors take fight to pests

A unit of researchers engaged in the war to save our threatened native birds are outlining their cutting-edge battle plans at the New Zealand Ecological Society Conference at Massey University today.

The group, all from Lincoln University and Lincoln Agritech led research programmes, are presenting the results of their three-pronged approach which covers surveillance to pinpoint and monitor the enemy (in this case introduced pest animals), the development of effective toxins for them, and refining ways to selectively dispatch them.

Department of Ecology Senior Lecturer Dr James Ross described the work as world-leading, and said it could help lead to the sustained control of pests like stoats, which are dramatically reducing the numbers of kiwis in the wild.

The research was carried out with Ministry of Business and Innovation funding and were part of programmes called ‘’Pest Control for the 21st Century’’ and “Completing the Arsenal for Possum and Tuberculosis Control”.

Over time, he said, all of it could come together to produce an advanced trap which could determine which pest animal has come into it, send a text message to notify the operator, select and deliver the right toxin for that animal, and repeat the feat many times over without the need for servicing. When it does need maintenance another text message could be sent.

Dr Helen Blackie, a former Associate Director at the University’s Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation, but now of Boffa Miskell, has led the collaborative development of surveillance device PAWS, or Print Application for Wildlife Surveillance, also funded by DOC.

It uses an electronic pad, which animals walk over, to detect which species they are with close to 100 percent accuracy for New Zealand mammalian pests.

In addition to surveillance and detection uses, it could allow the right toxin for the right pest to be applied.

Lincoln Agritech researcher Dr Kenji Irie, also part of the PAWS development team, is looking into extending it to detect pest insects, which could “open up a new era in biosecurity detection’’.

Dr Ross himself, working with Landcare Research, has developed a DNA device to identify individual possums which will enable an estimation of actual population numbers, thus determining how well control programmes are working. The possum bites the device and DNA is extracted from their saliva and then stored, ensuring the animal is not counted twice.

Professor Charles Eason, Centre for Wildlife Management and Conservation Director, has worked to develop some of the first new vertebrate pesticides to be registered in the world for more than 25 years. These include new “red blood cell” toxins which work on the bloodstream and make the animal go to sleep, ensuring a humane death. The toxins work selectively on different animals and the group have already had overseas interest for mongoose control.

Three of the speakers will present work on a new Spitfire device, soon to undergo large scale field testing. This multi-kill tool can selectively deliver the new poisons and is capable of giving 100 deadly doses without having to be reset or checked.

The animals have the toxin squirted on them after being lured into the device by a scent and ingest the toxin when they groom themselves.

Dr Elaine Murphy, also working with DOC, is currently testing it on rats and stoats, and field trials show the stoat population in the Blue Mountains was significantly reduced shortly after deployment. Dr Arijana Barun is targeting ferrets with the Spitfire, which prey on penguins as well as kiwi and carry bovine tuberculosis, with field trials planned soon.

PhD student Lee Shapiro is using a tree-mounted Spitfire adapted for possums, which is set- off by the animal’s weight. The first pilot trial had a 90 percent reduction in possum numbers and no non-target interference.

Single-kill traps currently have to be checked each time they go off, so the new Spitfire would be less labour intensive and some of the new toxins may be able to be handled without a poisons licence, so they could be used by the general public.

It would all add up to a better outcome for Kiwi and other struggling native birds. It would not replace the broader “multi-kill’’ tools like 1080 drops, but would keep pest populations low and not let them recover.

“It would be another tool in the toolbox,’’ Dr Ross said.

At the conference the researchers are demonstrating “proof of concept’’, Professor Eason said.

The next step was to run larger scale field trials with DOC and other experienced practitioners.

“To enable rats, stoats and possums to be reduced to zero density over large scales, and holding them at zero, we need better understanding of animal behaviour at low density, better detection methods, and continuing effort to improve our responses to incursions.’’

He said resetting trap systems, combined with species identification technology, multi-dose toxin delivery systems, and ultra-potent lures will “improve our ability for elimination at scale, and to maintain barriers, holding rats, stoats and possums at zero density”.

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