Potential cat sighting on Mana Island has DOC on full alert

Potential cat sighting on Mana Island has DOC on full alert

The DOC Pōneke/Wellington office received a report of a potential cat sighting on Mana Island on Thursday 19 February 2015.

Immediately following the possible sighting, DOC implemented an incident control plan. The Department increased their survellience regime and deployed fourteen motion detection cameras at various locations on Mana Island. Footage from the cameras was reviewed daily. The Department also sent out a dog handler with his three certified cat-detecting dogs. The dog handler visited the island on two seperate ocassions, once in February and another in March. On each visit the handler and dogs spent three days combing the 217 hectare Scientific Reserve, searching for any sign of a cat presence.

While no trace of a pest animal has been found, DOC will continue surveillance on the island for several more months.

“This highlights the importance of biosecurity procedures for visiting pest-free islands,” says Colin Giddy, DOC Wellington Biodiversity Ranger. “The presence of a single pest animal could create devastating effects for the native wildlife on the island, particularly given the amount of threatened and endangered species inhabiting Mana Island.”

The Department strongly encourages members of the public to be vigilent when it comes to bio-secuirty measures. It is important to check your gear and ensure your transporation vessel is free of unwanted pests prior to departure from the mainland. Please report any sighting of pests on pest-free island to the DOC emergency hotline (0800 DOC HOT).

DOC Pōneke/Wellington has been working closely with partners to ensure all practical precautions are undertaken to ensure that Mana Island remains pest free. DOC will continue to monitor the potential pest animal breach until the staff are confident that there is no cat present on the island.

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