The seaside suburb of Haitatai is located at the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island, stretching along the slopes of Mount Victoria and meeting the rocky coastline of Evans Bay. Beneath the lush vegetation, a bloody battle is raging between the city’s rats and the ratcatchers who set out to exterminate them.

“We call it our Vietnam. It’s so challenging,” said James Willcocks, 45, wellington free predator (PFW) About steep hillsides covered with natural food sources. “Rats like that environment because humans can’t get there.”

Mr Wilcox and his organization are at the forefront of a world-first plan to rid New Zealand’s capital of rats, stoats and weasels.This is part of a strategy to eliminate the entire country Countries will become predators by 2050 Attempts to restore native wildlife and improve biodiversity.

New Zealand has evolved in geographical isolation for 85 million years and is home to 80,000 endemic species of plants, animals and fungi. However, an estimated 4,000 of these bird species are threatened with extinction, including 40% of native birds, many of which are highly vulnerable to predators.Kakapo, a large, nocturnal, flightless parrot Critically endangered, with only 247 left in the wild. New Zealand’s iconic kiwi has a population of about 70,000, with 20 kiwis disappearing every week, mainly due to stoats and dogs.

“The reality is we have to make a choice,” Mr Wilcox told I. “Are we going to allow these species that don’t exist anywhere else in the world to disappear from the face of the earth?”

“We call ourselves New Zealanders, we don’t call ourselves rats. But 95 per cent of kiwis are killed in the wild. What does it mean if we can’t look after them? If you want your children, your grandchildren to listen When we hear this news or see a kiwi, we have to do something.”

Now, PFW is working with dozens of volunteer groups to trap and kill animals that prey on native wildlife one by one.The first phase, covering the Miramar Peninsula east of Wellington, has been declared predator-free and is currently underway under Operation Permanent Alert, covered by nearly 500 equipped cameras. The Motolure, a New Zealand invention that resembles a giant syringe dripping with mayonnaise, alerts staff to any intrusions. Locals are encouraged to report sightings to the 0800 NO RATS hotline, which will “activate” bait stations, traps and sniffer dogs. The next phase targets Wellington city centre, including 10,000 homes and businesses, as well as parliament, a university, zoo and hospital.

“We can try to do it once and do it right, or we’re going to have to eradicate these things forever,” Mr Wilcox said.

“A battle of wits and courage”

For TV producer Dan Henry, 50, in the bush near his Miramar home, the karere (New Zealand falcon) and the creru (New Zealand wood pigeon) The screams were part of a reward for the work of his volunteer trapping team, Predator Free Miramarcarried out since 2017.

Mr Henry said interest in the project grew quickly after his team started making traps and giving them away at garden centers and school fairs.

“People really liked it and the team grew really fast, almost to the point where we could barely keep up,” he told us I. “I would put the traps down before and after work. I always have six traps in the back of my car.”

The traps are set inside a 900mm box with a tunnel at one end, allowing predators to enter but preventing children and pets from entering. Stoats and weasels prefer fresh rabbit meat, while rats prefer peanut butter.Mr. Henry said Miramar’s community has been so supportive of the effort that local cafes even stock home-sized tubs donated by local manufacturers fix and fogg.

“People will come and get date scones and lattes and then get some rat bait,” he joked, adding that the final phase required a more subtle approach.

“Rats are really cunning…Essentially, we’re catering to the tiny needs of individual rats. The question is ‘If you don’t like this, how about this one? It’s a battle of wits.’”

Mr Henry believes gruesome images shared on social media, a sense of competition and taking the time to explain the benefits on the doorstep were also key to the project’s success. He said many locals are now adept at identifying predators based on “chew cards” stuffed with peanut butter that reveal individual tooth marks.

“You know your trapping team has reached a saturation point when people post photos of scat and ask, ‘Is this a rat?’” And others can actually say, ‘Judging by the streaks on the scat, You’re dealing with weta (native insects),’” he said.

Beatrix Potter beware

The project has widespread support in New Zealand, where an affinity for the environment and pride in native species are part of the national ethos.But it has also been criticized by some who believe that The predator-free target is a flawed target that may Unintended consequences.

Wayne Linklater, Associate Professor of Biology, University of Victoria, and Jamie Steer, Wellington Regional Council Biodiversity Advisor, Criticized before initiative, saying it “is not yet fully understood by science or conservation best practices” and will have “complex” impacts on ecosystems.

It also raises questions about what is considered a predator and which species deserve protection. Rats came to New Zealand with early Maori voyagers, whalers and European settlers, while stoats, weasels and ferrets were introduced to control rabbits.Mr Steele believes these are all part of equality New Zealand’s ecological environment.

Other issues include using poison and the death of other animals not officially listed as predators. Mr Henry estimates he has killed a similar number of rats – he personally killed around 300 – but he doesn’t lose “sleep” over it.

“While they are not our target, we would definitely be happy to remove some of them,” he said, adding that hedgehogs were also on the frontline.

“They have sharp teeth, but they’re just as bad as rats. They kill ground-nesting birds and eat their eggs, and then they can climb.”

“They’re not quite the cute creatures Beatrix Potter would have us believe.”

Abundant bird life

Predator-free zones help native birds thrive, a strategy repeated around the world from South Georgia to the Caribbean to the Isles of Scilly. In Wellington, the Miramar Peninsula has seen a 51 per cent increase in native bird populations, according to new PFW report bird count dataincluding a 550% increase in sightings of the New Zealand fantail or pīwakawaka, and a 275% increase in sightings of the riroriro (grey warbler).

one Wellington City Council conducts annual bird count Improvements in native bird sightings were also reported in May 2023, partly due to the birds’ “halo” effect Zealandia Temara Taneanother predator-free sanctuary west of the city.

Community trapping is also reported to have social benefits. A study conducted in 2020 Wellington City Council and Zealandia The study found that those who regularly spent time in nature had lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress, with benefits “beyond those of independent nature experiences for those involved in predator trapping.”

For Mr Wilcox and Mr Henry, being able to unite the community while helping to restore New Zealand’s native taonga (treasure) has been a highlight of the project.

“Going into your backyard and getting rid of rats may seem like a fringe activity,” Mr Henry said, but he believed the collective ownership of such an accessible project showed there was a “gap waiting to be filled”.

“When you start to see birds and geckos rebound, it’s a huge bonus on a micro level. But if your neighbors and their neighbors do the same, you can really make a difference.”