New Zealand uses predator control to protect native species
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Researchers studying 24 years of data across New Zealand found that aerial drops of the toxin 1080 effectively reduce rat and stoat populations, but these predators often rebound within a few years.
The team analysed over 591,000 records of mammal tracking from public conservation land from 1998 to 2022. They discovered that the speed of predator recovery varies by region, with warmer northern areas experiencing larger rat rebounds than cooler southern regions.
Repeated 1080 applications must be tailored to local conditions to effectively protect vulnerable native species like whio/blue duck, pīwakawaka/fantail, kiwi, and kākā. The research suggests that for kākā populations in South Westland, 1080 treatments every two or three years could prevent stoat recoveries and support growth. Scientists also investigated whether climate change is causing rats to expand into cooler, higher-elevation forests, but they have not yet found conclusive evidence of this trend.
Further research is needed to understand why stoat activity is particularly high in wet, western forests, and to better predict long-term changes in predator populations.
