Stoat Den Destroyed

STOAT DEN DESTROYED

Orokonui Ecosanctuary staff have destroyed a stoat den under a totara tree in the middle of the sanctuary.

During a visit to Dunedin in the first week of November, stoat dog handler Angela Newport, of the Bay of Islands, offered to bring her and stoat detection dog, Mackey, to Orokonui. She and Mackey did a thorough sweep through Orokonui on November Thursday 5th.

Orokonui Conservation Manager Elton Smith said: “Mackey strongly indicated a stoat presence in one small area right in the middle of the reserve and late on the Thursday zoned in at the base of a very large totara. To confirm, the dog went back to the tree early on Friday and was very excited again. Fresh scat was observed. It appeared to be a den.”

On Friday 6th Elton Smith and ranger Kelly Gough observed a stoat leaving from one entrance and not long afterwards, small growling noises from kits were heard coming from within the den complex.

Three of the five obvious entrances to the den were blocked off and traps were set in the remaining two entrances.

During Friday evening the female was found caught with one kit (baby stoat) in the first trap.

“We think she was carrying the kit out to an alternative undiscovered den and this was her fatal error.

“As this den was underneath the totara it was impossible to excavate to extract the remaining kits so traps were placed as far inside as we could reach and all entrances were sealed. Since then the den has been checked numerous times and no sign of life has been detected. It is highly unlikely the kits would have survived alone for very long,” Mr Smith said.
“Because mother stoats often mate shortly after giving birth, the dead female was sent to Landcare Research scientists at Lincoln to check for blastocysts that would indicate impregnation. None were found. So we’re very relieved about that. It would seem no adult males are present inside our fence.

“Nonetheless, we are maintaining our network of traps inside the fence in case of a future incursion.”

Another stoat detection dog team will visit Orokonui in the new year.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary’s trust board chairman, Neville Peat, paid tribute to the efforts of Elton Smith and his field staff for their relentless pursuit of a stoat whose paw prints were discovered in snow in June. A stoat was subsequently recorded on one of the trail cameras installed during an intensive eradication programme. Staff used the newest ideas on lures, traps and poison operations and there were several visits by different stoat detection dogs.

“I doubt there has ever been a more concentrated stoat-hunt on the New Zealand mainland. Our field staff had advice from mustelid specialists around New Zealand and we deployed the best known methods for snaring stoats.

“Early on, Elton and his team were guessing we had a female stoat intruder, typically trap-shy and possibly pregnant. Luckily, Angela brought her dog to us at just the right time.

“There are stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats and feral cats hammering constantly at our fence, judging by the animals routinely caught in traps on the outside. We have to be constantly on guard against predators,” Mr Peat said.

ENDS

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